CBI seeks maximum punishment for Rathore

The CBI on Friday sought maximum punishment of two years for disgraced former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore in the Ruchika molestation case before a court which adjourned the hearing on the plea till February 8.

Additional District and Sessions Judge R S Attri also issued notice to 68-year-old Rathore on CBI's submission and on a revision petition by complainant Madhu Parkash with the same plea, Ruchika family's counsel Pankaj Bhardwaj said.

Challenging the six-month sentence awarded to Rathore for molesting 14-year-old Ruchika in 1990, three years after which she committed suicide, the CBI had yesterday filed the appeal before the court.

On December 21, the court of CBI magistrate J S Sidhu had convicted Rathore and sentenced him to six months' rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs 10,000, which had raised a public outrage as the former IPS officer had been let off with a lighter sentence.

Both CBI and Bhardwaj have sought maximum punishment of two years for Rathore under section 354 of IPC (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty).

The CBI, in its appeal, alleged that Rathore was a protector of the law but instead he molested the victim, increasing the gravity of the offence.

Bhardwaj in his revision petition said Rathore had intentions of molesting the victim and, thus, had even gone to her house and later molested her.

CBI submitted that molestation of Ruchika was not an act on the spur of the moment but was pre-planned. It also accused Rathore of unleashing a reign of terror on witnesses.

A local court on January 13 had granted bail to Rathore, while admitting his appeal and fixed it for final arguments on February 8.

The CBI, which had earlier said it would move the court for enhancement of Rathore's sentence, moved the appeal yesterday along with the trial court judgment and a detailed
time-sheet about the progress of the trial proceedings from August 21, 1998, when the case was marked to the CBI till December 21 last year when the verdict was delivered.

Madhu Parkash, the main complainant in this case, is mother of Ruchika's friend Aradhana, the sole eye-witness.