'Need time to argue Rathore's bail plea'

Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday agreed to grant adequate time to the counsel for disgraced former director general of police SPS Rathore to argue his petition seeking anticipatory bail in two fresh first investigation reports levelling serious criminal charges against him in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Appearing for Rathore, whose petition challenges a Panchkula session court order denying him anticipatory bail, his lawyer-wife Abha submitted before the court that she needed sufficient time to present her case and that the matter could not be wound up in a short duration.

"I require time at length to argue my case," Abha submitted before Justice Sabina when the 67-year-old former Indian Police Service officer's case came up for hearing.

Granting her plea, Justice Sabina posted the petition for hearing later in the day. While Rathore was not present in the court, the lawyer for Ruchika Girhotra's family, Pankaj Bhardwaj, and Panchkula Superintendent of Police Manish Chaudhary were seated in the court room.

The two fresh FIRs, registered on the basis of complaints by Ruchika's father S C Girhotra and brother Ashu, accuse Rathore of committing serious offences including attempt to murder, wrongful confinement, giving false evidence and doctoring the post-mortem report of the girl, who committed suicide three years after being molested by the former IPS officer on August 12, 1990.

The trial court had handed down a lighter punishment of six months' jail term and a fine of Rs 1,000 to Rathore for molesting the budding tennis player.

Arguing Rathore's case, Abha on Monday alleged in the high court that the cases had been registered under media pressure against her husband.