The Panchkula police registered on Tuesday a fresh FIR against former Haryana police DGP S P S Rathore, for abetting the suicide of teenager Ruchika Girhotra in 1993.
Stating that the fresh FIR against Rathore had been registered under Section 306 of IPC for abetting the suicide of Ruchika in 1993, three years after he had molested her, superintendent of police Maneesh Chaudhry told HT the same had been filed on the complaint of Ruchika’s brother Ashu lodged with local police on December 31.
Besides Rathore, the FIR also named the then Ambala SP K P Singh, and others including an SI Prem Dutt and two assistant sub-inspectors namely, Sewa Singh and Jai Narayan as accused.
Ruchika, a budding lawn tennis player, who was molested by Rathore at his under construction house here on August 12, 1990, when she was about 15 years old, had ended her life December 28, 1993 by consuming insecticide, reportedly because of the continuous torment meted out to her family by him.
Ashu said in his complaint that Rathore began to torture his family immediately after Ruchika’s complaint against molestation became public, subsequent to which he got more than 10 false cases of car thefts slapped on him, inflicting third-degree torture on him in police custody, in Rathore’s presence and harassing the his family between 1990 and 1993, which led to Ruchika finally committing suicide in December 1993, the SP said.
Ruchika tragically committed suicide in 1993 with her family and friends alleging that Rathore used his influence to get the budding tennis player expelled from Sacred Hearth Senior Secondary School where she was a student.
It may be recalled that Rathore was earlier booked by the Panchkula police in two different cases charging him of attempt to murder, forging and tampering with evidence of Ruchika’s death, criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement on the basis of Ashu as well as his father S C Girhotra’s complaints on December 29, 2009. Most of the charges slapped against him in both FIRs were non-bailable.
On Friday last, however, Rathore got interim relief on his anticipatory bail application from the district and sessions court here till January 7, after his lawyer wife Abha moved the court.
It may be recalled that Rathore was convicted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Chandigarh December 21 for Ruchika’s molestation and sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.
The decision to take back Rathore's police medal was taken by a committee of Union Home Ministry officials in New Delhi on Monday.
A big step in right direction
Reacting to the registration of third FIR against Rathore, Ruchika case crusaders Anand Prakash and his daughter Aradhna said it was a big step in right direction.
Aradhna hailed Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for keeping his promise for fair action in the context, and said she was hopeful for further action as well, for, Rathore's influence seemed to be diminishing.
Anand Prakash said that lodging of an FIR for abetment to suicide was a big step in right direction.