Panchkula:
The Haryana Police has traced and questioned Veena, the mysterious figure in the Ruchika Girhotra story, but the question remains: Who is she? Where does she fit in this tale of molestation, harassment and death?
Only days after Veena reportedly told the police Special Investigation Team (SIT) that she had married Ruchika's father in 1990 and separated from him in 1995, Aradhna Gupta, Ruchika's best friend and eyewitness to former top cop SPS Rathore molesting the 14-year-old, emphatically denies that such a marriage took place.
"Girhotra Uncle never married after Renuka Aunty died in 1988...Veena was just a governess helping Ruchika with home chores...there are neither witnesses nor any evidence that she was married to Uncle," she said while answering surfer questions on ndtv.com.
This is something both Aradhna and her father Anand Prakash have been saying ever since the name of Veena was first brought up by Rathore's lawyer-wife Abha Rathore last month.
Abha has repeatedly referred to Veena as Veena Girhotra, Ruchika's step-mother, who, she says, drove Ruchika to suicide.
Rathore had molested Ruchika in 1990. After months of depression and harassment she killed herself in 1993. Last month, Rathore was given a six-month sentence for molestation. The Girhotra family has now filed fresh charges, including that of abetment to suicide, contending that Rathore's harassment of the family drove Ruchika to kill herself. And Rathore has sought bail.
Pleading for bail for her husband, Abha had told a court that Veena was Ruchika's stepmother. She pointed out that Subhash Girhotra had earlier told the CBI court that on the night of December 27, 1993, a day before Ruchika committed suicide, he had gone to the temple with Veena after locking the door from outside with Ruchika inside.
Ruchika drank poison the next day and died on December 29, 1993.
Ruchika's father Subhash Girhotra too denies that he ever remarried. "I never got married again...this is not correct...they are trying to mislead...we will expose him in the court," he says.
But in 2005, Girhotra had told the CBI court in Ambala: "I married Veena Girhotra in November 1991. This was my second marriage."
He had said that Veena lived with him in Panchkula till June 1995 and then they separated. He said it was incorrect that he had lost the confidence of his children after marrying for a second time.
He also said then that it was incorrect to say that Ruchika had become depressed because of the behaviour of the step-mother.
Ruchika's inquest report has a Veena signing with the Girhotra surname.
According to the sources, Veena has told the SIT that she was at the hospital when Ruchika died after drinking poison in December 1993. She said that Ruchika's maternal grandfather and uncle were there too.
Veena has reportedly said when questioned now that she met Ruchika's father at a Surajpur temple in 1989. Both had been widowed by then.
Subhash married her in November 1990, she said. That was three months after 14-year-old Ruchika was molested by top Haryana cop SPS Rathore. She said she had a cordial relationship with Ruchika.
Asked about Ruchika's relationship with Veena, Aradhna said: "As far as Ruchika's relationship with her is concerned it was like any other relationship you share with a normal help that comes in the morning cooks, takes care of your clothes and leaves in the evening; sometimes she would leave even before I left."
Veena has reportedly sought protection of her identity and address. She thus continues to be the mystery element in Ruchika's story. An element that the CBI will no doubt look into, now that it has taken over the case.
Only days after Veena reportedly told the police Special Investigation Team (SIT) that she had married Ruchika's father in 1990 and separated from him in 1995, Aradhna Gupta, Ruchika's best friend and eyewitness to former top cop SPS Rathore molesting the 14-year-old, emphatically denies that such a marriage took place.
"Girhotra Uncle never married after Renuka Aunty died in 1988...Veena was just a governess helping Ruchika with home chores...there are neither witnesses nor any evidence that she was married to Uncle," she said while answering surfer questions on ndtv.com.
This is something both Aradhna and her father Anand Prakash have been saying ever since the name of Veena was first brought up by Rathore's lawyer-wife Abha Rathore last month.
Abha has repeatedly referred to Veena as Veena Girhotra, Ruchika's step-mother, who, she says, drove Ruchika to suicide.
Rathore had molested Ruchika in 1990. After months of depression and harassment she killed herself in 1993. Last month, Rathore was given a six-month sentence for molestation. The Girhotra family has now filed fresh charges, including that of abetment to suicide, contending that Rathore's harassment of the family drove Ruchika to kill herself. And Rathore has sought bail.
Pleading for bail for her husband, Abha had told a court that Veena was Ruchika's stepmother. She pointed out that Subhash Girhotra had earlier told the CBI court that on the night of December 27, 1993, a day before Ruchika committed suicide, he had gone to the temple with Veena after locking the door from outside with Ruchika inside.
Ruchika drank poison the next day and died on December 29, 1993.
Ruchika's father Subhash Girhotra too denies that he ever remarried. "I never got married again...this is not correct...they are trying to mislead...we will expose him in the court," he says.
But in 2005, Girhotra had told the CBI court in Ambala: "I married Veena Girhotra in November 1991. This was my second marriage."
He had said that Veena lived with him in Panchkula till June 1995 and then they separated. He said it was incorrect that he had lost the confidence of his children after marrying for a second time.
He also said then that it was incorrect to say that Ruchika had become depressed because of the behaviour of the step-mother.
Ruchika's inquest report has a Veena signing with the Girhotra surname.
According to the sources, Veena has told the SIT that she was at the hospital when Ruchika died after drinking poison in December 1993. She said that Ruchika's maternal grandfather and uncle were there too.
Veena has reportedly said when questioned now that she met Ruchika's father at a Surajpur temple in 1989. Both had been widowed by then.
Subhash married her in November 1990, she said. That was three months after 14-year-old Ruchika was molested by top Haryana cop SPS Rathore. She said she had a cordial relationship with Ruchika.
Asked about Ruchika's relationship with Veena, Aradhna said: "As far as Ruchika's relationship with her is concerned it was like any other relationship you share with a normal help that comes in the morning cooks, takes care of your clothes and leaves in the evening; sometimes she would leave even before I left."
Veena has reportedly sought protection of her identity and address. She thus continues to be the mystery element in Ruchika's story. An element that the CBI will no doubt look into, now that it has taken over the case.
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