Fearing Arrest, Rathore Seeks Anticipatory Bail; Court Refuses
Facing imminent arrest in the Ruchika molestation case, former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore has moved for anticipatory bail before a sessions court which deferred proceedings after hearing arguments.
The district and sessions court hearing the case refused to grant interim bail to Rathore. District and Sessions judge S P Singh said that the anticipatory bail application moved by Rathore will be taken up on the next hearing of the case on January 1. He has asked Rathore’s counsel to submit all documents in the court on the next hearing.
Defence counsel Abha contended before District and Sessions Judge SP Singh that Ruchika Girhotra’s family was presenting ‘fabricated and forged’ facts in the case, in which Rathore had been convicted with 6-month term.
She alleged that Rathore, her husband, was facing ‘nothing but a trial by the media’ and that she came to know about the filing of fresh FIRs in the case through the press.
When asked if she had the copies of the FIRs, Abha said ‘no’.
The court adjourned the proceedings after hearing the arguments.
Needless to add, police registered two fresh FIRs against Rathore on Tuesday and initiated the moves to file a case of abetment of suicide on Tuesday, tightening noose around the former Haryana top cop found guilty of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika in 1990, who later committed suicide.
Haryana police has registered two FIRs on the basis of complaints by Ruchika’s father Subhash Chander Girhotra and her brother Ashu regarding alleged tampering of the post-mortem report by police and harassment of Ashu including attempt to murder him.
Parallely, the Union Home and Law Ministries are also considering appealing against the trial court’s verdict in the case to seek enhanced punishment for Rathore.
Meanwhile, Ruchika’s father and their lawyer Prakash Bharadwaj are expected to meet Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi to discuss the case. They will be accompanied by Anand Prakash, father of Ruchika’s friend Aradhana.
