Ruchika case: Rathore's anticipatory bail plea rejected

Ruchika case: Rathore's anticipatory bail plea rejected

 Wed, Dec 30 08:22 PM

Panchkula/New Delhi, Dec 30 (PTI) Apprehending arrest following fresh FIRs against him, a cornered Haryana ex-DGP SPS Rathore today moved a sessions court for anticipatory bail but failed to get any immediate relief, as the Centre explored the options of slapping abetment to suicide charge on him.

Parallely, the Haryana police set up a seven-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an IGP for the two fresh cases registered on the basis of complaints of father and brother of molestation victim Ruchika Girhotra against Rathore and others for allegedly tampering with the post-mortem report and on abetment of suicide charge.

The Centre stepped in with Home Minister P Chidambaram discussing with Ruchika''s family and lawyers in New Delhi the possibility of re-opening the 19-year-old case by adding abetment to suicide charge on Rathore. The 67-year-old former top cop was convicted for molesting the 14-year-old budding tennis player who committed suicide three years after the incident in 1990.

With the noose tightening over Rathore, there was a pronounced change in his demeanour in sharp contrast to the broad grin he sported the day he got away with a lighter sentence of six months imprisonment early this month.

A grim-faced Rathore even had a run-in with the media. He mocked at the media when asked for his comments after his anticipatory bail plea was rejected telling them, "the day you can satisfy me you are a constitutional power on judicial matters, I will speak (to you)".

Abha, the lawyer-wife of Rathore, submitted before District and Sessions Judge S P Singh which heard his anticipatory bail plea that "fabricated, twisted and forged" facts were being presented by Ruchika's family.

The judge also issued a notice to the state for a reply to the anticipatory bail plea on January one..