The judge who tried to fight SPS Rathore

Patiala: The government and her family's lawyers are preparing to charge the policeman who molested Ruchika Girhotra with abetment of suicide. It's what a judge, Jagdev Singh Dhanjal, pushed for 8 years ago. However, he was defeated.  

SPS Rathore was originally charged with molesting the 14-year-old. Ruchika accused Rathore of sexually abusing her in 1990 and killed herself three years later. Rathore was found guilty earlier this month and sentenced to six months in prison, but was granted bail as he announced he would appeal against the verdict.  

The sentence has been described as flaccid and inadequate by legal experts.

The investigation against Rathore began in 1999. Jagdev Singh Dhanjal, the judge hearing the case had ordered that the charges against Rathore be increased to abetment of suicide. However, Rathore appealed against this in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and won his case. Ruchika's family then went to the Supreme Court but lost their case there.  

Dhanjal, however, points out that there was always enough evidence to prove that Ruchika's death was caused by Rathore's relentless persecution after she complained about him. Speaking to NDTV, Dhanjal says, there was "continuous harassment from the date of occurrence till the date of death...even the CBI report says that after the occurrence of the incident, she remained confined to her house and remained depressed and later on committed suicide."

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Dhanjal also says that the CBI, which was investigating the case, showed poor judgement in not voluntarily bringing harsher charges against Rathore. Dhanjal says he "failed to understand why the CBI turned a deaf ear to the statement of various public witnesses."

Earlier this week, Ruchika's family succeeded in filing two new police cases against Rathore - for fabricating documents on Ruchika's suicide, and for misusing his position as a senior Haryana police officer to harass Ruchika's brother, who was jailed on false charges. A court will decide on Friday whether he can be granted bail in these new cases.

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But what the Girhotras have discussed in a meeting with the Home Minister is the possibility of accusing Rathore of driving Ruchika to kill herself. Law minister Veerappa Moily has already said no record that he believes these charges should apply.