Stepmother forced Ruchika to commit suicide: Rathore's lawyer

SPS Rathore's counsel, wife Abha Rathore, told the court on Friday that Section 306 of Indian Penal Code (IPC - abetment to suicide) could not be imposed on Rathore since the matter had been dealt with and quashed by the Supreme Court.

She also said that fresh cases registered against Rathore, the disgraced former Haryana police chief SPS Rathore, convicted of molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra 19 years ago, were due to media pressure.

The fresh charges being made now, she added, had not been raised in the last 19 years.

The counsel also said that a woman called Veena Girhotra, who was Ruchika's stepmother, had forced the girl to commit suicide.

Meanwhile, the hearing of the anticipatory bail plea by Rathore was adjourned by a court in Panchkula till Friday afternoon.

District sessions judge SP Singh, after hearing Rathore's counsel and wife Abha Rathore and Ruchika's family lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj, asked the state government counsel to provide details of the case at the hearing slated to take place at 12.30 pm.

Rathore did not come to the court on Friday.

However, Bhardwaj countered the arguments saying that there was enough evidence to book Rathore under Section 306 and also for the torture of Ruchika's brother, Ashu. He said that Ruchika did not have any stepmother.

Rathore was Tuesday booked by Panchkula police in two fresh cases, including the non-bailable attempt to murder charge, after Ruchika's family filed fresh complaints.

Ruchika, a budding tennis player, was molested by Rathore here Aug 12, 1990. She committed suicide three years later (1993), unable to cope with the harassment of her family and torture of her brother by the Haryana police, which slapped false car theft cases on him.

Rathore was Dec 21 convicted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Chandigarh. He was sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Stepmother-forced-Ruchika-to-commit-suicide-Rathore-s-wife/H1-Article1-492637.aspx

Ruchika case: Disgraced Rathore seeks anticipatory bail

Disgraced former Haryana director general of police (DGP) SPS Rathore on Wednesday sought pre-arrest bail here, following the registration of two fresh cases against him for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra and then allegedly hounding her till she killed herself.

Rathore's petition is being heard by District and Sessions Judge SP Singh.

Carrying a file in his hands, Rathore reached the Panchkula court flanked by his wife, who is also his lawyer. The two fresh FIRs (First Information Report) registered against him include charges for attempt to murder and wrongful confinement.

In contrast to his smiling face Dec 21 when he was convicted for molesting Ruchika, Rathore on Wednesday kept a straight face and avoided answering the barrage of questions thrown at him and his wife by waiting reporters.

In first appearance since the public outcry over the quantum of sentence for molesting Ruchika, the former Haryana director general of police wore an olive green jacket over a sky blue shirt and a navy blue tie.

The government has now ordered a fresh probe into the molestation case and may also charge Rathore with abetment to suicide. Ruchika, a budding tennis player, killed herself three years after the molestation incident, as Rathore allegedly kept hounding her and her family, including the slapping of false criminal cases against her brother.

Rathore's six-month jail sentence for molestation and the Rs 1,000 fine came 19 years after the incident.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ruchika-case-Disgraced-Rathore-seeks-anticipatory-bail/H1-Article1-491976.aspx

Ruchika molestation case needs to be revisited: Veerappa Moily

Law Minister Veerappa Moily on Friday said the molestation case of teenager Ruchika Girhotra needs to be "revisited".

He, however, added that the "rule of law should not be interfered by any one".

"The case of this nature has been mistreated and whoever is responsible has to be appropriately dealt with. And a case of this nature needs to be revisited," Moily told reporters Friday.

Fourteen-year-old Ruchika was molested Aug 12, 1990 by S.P.S. Rathore , who rose to become Haryana's police chief. The girl committed suicide three years later. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court convicted Rathore in the molestation case and sentenced him to six months' imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.1,000. Rathore was immediately granted bail by the court.

Moily said he had discussed the matter with the solicitor general of India.

"I have discussed it with the solicitor general of India and have asked him what could be done after this sentence. I told him to discuss the case with the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) director also," said Moily.

Acknowledging that justice has been delayed in the case, Moily said that the laws relating to atrocities on women needed to be revisited.

"The delay of 19 years by the judiciary is unpardonable. We have to revisit laws also in terms of punishment and the manner in which the case was treated," Moily added.

The law minister added that the cases relating to atrocities against women, senior citizens and disabled citizens will be fast-tracked.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ruchika-molestation-case-needs-to-be-revisited-Veerappa-Moily/H1-Article1-490420.aspx

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Ruchika expulsion was against school norms ::Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, Chandigarh, Violated Norms?

CHANDIGARH: Ruchika Girhotra's alma mater — Sacred Heart — appears to have plotted her expulsion from the school.

It now transpires that the school didn't accept Ruchika's fee and later expelled her on the flimsy grounds that that she didn't pay it.
A senior Sacred Heart teacher said it was rare for the school to expel on the grounds cited in Ruchika's case. "It's uncommon that our school had expelled students on the basis of non-payment of the fees. Either, a month's notice is given or fine is imposed. In extreme situations, the students aren't allowed to take the exams," said the teacher.
A family friend Adhunika Seedhar echoes the teacher, saying Ruchika was expelled contrary to the school's norms. "The school didn't even issue a notice to Ruchika and straightaway acted against her," said Seedhar.
Sacred Heart's admission brochure buttresses the teacher's point. It says, at the most, a student wouldn't be allowed to take exams as a penalty for the non-payment of the fee. Thought the 1990 brochure contents are unknown, her expulsion certainly flouts the norms of the school's present policy.
Chandigarh home secretary Ram Niwas said the authorities would investigate the circumstances that led to Ruchika's expulsion. "We would act against the school if Ruchika's relatives complain," he said. "It must have been tormenting for a child who was up against influential people," he added.
Students at Ruchika's alma mater have begun rallying around the campaign for her justice. They have started blogging to support the cause. "Blogging is the best and quickest way of gathering support," said a Sacred Heart student. "I'm keen to trace Ruchika's batchmates and hear her story."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Ruchika-expulsion-was-against-school-norms/articleshow/5376285.cms

Ruchika is below the law, Rathore above it

Juggle-Bandhi

 

Jug Suraiya Friday December 25, 2009, 01:23 PM

If you were to drink and drive on New Year’s eve – or on any other day, for that matter –  (not that you’re silly enough to drink and drive, of course) and were stopped by a cop, you’d likely face a stiff fine up to Rs 5,000 and a possible night in jail. Compare this with the case of Haryana DGP, SPS Rathore, who in 1990 sexually molested a 14-year-old girl, Ruchika, who three years after the incident committed suicide as a direct result of the psychological trauma she had suffered. Her family was persecuted by members of the Haryana police; her brother had 11 false cases made against him, and the family eventually had to leave the state. Almost 20 years later, the perpetrator of this crime gets a jail sentence of six months and a 1,000 rupee fine. He leaves the court smiling, saying he will appeal.

The reason given for this gross travesty of justice is that the 150-year-old law relating to sexual molestation, short of rape, of a minor prescribes a maximum sentence of only two years, as against 10 years for rape. This antiquated law – which takes no account of that most repugnant of crimes, that of child molestation – is in the process of being reviewed.

In the meantime, will Rathore walk virtually free?

A number of other questions arise. Why did it take almost 20 years for the sentence to be awarded? Why did the Haryana high court strike down that part of the charge against Rathore which made him culpable for his victim’s suicide, and which would have invited a far stiffer sentence for him? Why did the judge impose a sentence of only six months, when even the flawed law as it stands allows for a maximum sentence of two years?

Has there been—or will there be – any inquiry into allegations made by the victim’s family of prolonged police harassment, amounting to criminal misconduct?

An uproar has been created in the media and in Parliament by the Ruchika case. But like so many other cause celebres will this too prove to be a nine-day-horror, soon wiped out from public memory by a more topical scandal, a more recent and more gory crime?

Once again, Ruchika’s tragic case exposes the glaring anomalies and shortcomings of our outdated, overburdened and severely flawed legal system. Even when the perpetrator is belatedly brought to book – as Rathore has been, almost two decades after he committed his criminal act – the punishment rarely fits the crime. The rich or the powerful – like Rathore with his top cop connections – get off lightly; common citizens bear the full brunt of a legal system seemingly skewed against their favour.

There has been much talk of a judicial review, of making our judiciary more accessible to public scrutiny. The Ruchika case is a challenge. A challenge for all those concerned about the deep-seated malaise in our system of jurisprudence, which not only allows but promotes repeated miscarriages of justice, to seek not only a more fitting punishment for Rathore but also to raise fundamental questions regarding the many weaknesses and perversities in the laws of our land. And, indeed, in many members of our judiciary, which presides over and interprets those laws. Judges have been asked to declare their assets. And the definition of the assets they declare might be expanded to include their IQs. Otherwise, the public at large – shocked by cases like that of Ruchika – might perforce deem the law to be not only an ass but a criminally culpable one at that.

In the meanwhile, don’t drink and drive on New Year’s eve, or any other time (not that you would; you’re far too sensible and law-abiding for that) or you may face the full force and fury of the law. Unlike DGP Rathore, who seems to be above, or beyond, it.

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/jugglebandhi/entry/ruchika-is-below-the-law

National Commission for Women India, announces lawyers committee to probe Ruchika case

In a clear indictment of the Punjab Police and the state government, National Commission for Women chairperson, Girija Vyas set up a committee to examine the Ruchika Girhotra case.

The NCW is also examining whether it can file a case to get damage compensation for Ruchika Girhotra’s family. Vyas told reporters that she was setting up a committee of lawyers to examine the sequence of events that took place in the Ruchika Girhotra case, who committed suicide due to alleged harassment by former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore.

A CBI special court sentenced Rathore to six months imprisonment, and a fine of Rs 1000. That too, came 19 years after 14-year-old Ruchika complained that he had sexually harassed her. She had also alleged that after she complained Rathore used his influence with the state machinery to harass and threaten her family and friends in a bid to get her to withdraw the case.

Vyas said she was unhappy about the manner in which the state government had handled the case. She said she had written to the Haryana government asking it to file an appeal against the verdict. Vyas said she had learnt that the police had withdrawn the charge of abetting suicide against Rathore.

“I have taken up the issue of the judgement with the Haryana Chief Minister. I requested him to have an appeal filed against this recent judgement,” Vyas told reporters.

The NCW chairperson has also written to the Law Ministry to suggest that it could intervene in the matter if other arms of the state machinery were found wanting. Vyas said if the state government did not share her views on appealing against the verdict, the NCW too could intervene and appeal.

In a related development, Vyas also shot off a letter to the Union Home Ministry asking it to table the proposed bill against sexual assault.

The draft bill is with the Home Ministry. This bill in addition to existing provisions of rape deals with all other forms of sexual assault on women. If it becomes law, all forms of sexual assault against women, would be under a single legislation. “I have asked the Home Minister to expedite its introduction in Parliament,” Vyas said.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/newdelhi/NCW-announces-lawyers-committee-to-probe-Ruchika-case/490344/H1-Article1-490050.aspx

Ruchika molestation case: Four CMs sat back as cop ran roughshod

CHANDIGARH: Disgraced former Haryana DGP Rathore may not be finding many friends after his conviction, but the police officer enjoyed the patronage of four sucessive Chief Ministers.

In 1990, when the molestation incident took place in Panchkula, CM Hukam Singh (Lok Dal) ignored the episode and also an inquiry report by then DGP R R Singh, which found Rathore prima facie guilty of molesting the minor girl. Hukam Singh did not allow a case to be registered.
Between March and June, 1991, Om Prakash Chautala (Lok Dal) became CM but he too did not take any action. Rathore, who was an IG at the time of the molestation incident, even got his promotion as additional DGP in 1994 when Bhajan Lal of the Congress was CM. The promotion came just a few months after Ruchika committed suicide in 1993.
During Bhajan Lal's tenure from June 1991 to May 1996, Rathore was elevated to DGP.
It was during Bansi Lal's regime in 1998 that the Punjab and Haryana HC ordered a CBI probe against Rathore.
In Oct 1999, Chautala returned and made Rathore DGP of the state. He continued to be on this top post till December 2000 despite the CBI chargesheeting him in January 2000.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Ruchika-molestation-case-Four-CMs-sat-back-as-cop-ran-roughshod/articleshow/5371955.cms

Law fails, Indian Parliament urged to help Ruchika !!!

New Delhi: Fast track justice was needed in sexual harassment cases involving minors, CPI-M MP Brinda Karat said in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday while referring to the 1990 molestation of a 14-year-old girl for which a former Haryana director general of police (DGP) was sentenced to six months in prison.

Expressing outrage at former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore on Monday getting six months jail term for molesting the teen, who committed suicide three years later, Karat said: "A criminal who committed that crime in police uniform and escape justice for 19 years was rewarded with promotion after promotion. And, 19 years later this criminal has finally been found guilty. What is the punishment - just six months."

"And the day he was convicted, he was out on bail within 10 minutes. Isn't it a shame for all of us... how long can we tolerate this kind of action. It reveals

deep infirmities in our system of delivery of justice," the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) parliamentarian said.

Rathore was on Monday sentenced to six months in prison for molesting 14-year-old budding tennis player Ruchika Girhotra, who committed suicide in 1993 following continuous harassment of her and her family.

"It is not anybody else but a very sensitive family Anand and Madhu Prakash and their brave daughter Aradhana who were friends of the victims who stood for 19 years as witness in this case, refused to be cowed down and because of that the culprit has been punished," she said.

"My point is how are we going to tolerate these kind of cases in which our young girls have absolutely no security and when justice is denied in the way it has been in this case."

http://connect.in.com/news_article.php?pr_id=1932205&h_t=Law+fails%2C+Parliament+urged+to+help+Ruchika&news_url=687474703a2f2f69626e6c6976652e696e2e636f6d2f6e6577732f6c61772d6661696c732d7061726c69616d656e742d75726765642d746f2d68656c702d72756368696b612f3130373535362d332e68746d6c3f66726f6d3d746e

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