Haryana police files fresh FIRs in Ruchika case

The Haryana police on Tuesday night registered fresh FIRs against former state director general of police SPS Rathore who received only a six-month jail term recently for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra in 1990.

The state police had earlier referred for legal examination the two complaints lodged by Ruchika's father Subhash Chander Girhotra and brother Aashu, seeking filing of cases against Rathore and other police officials for slapping false cases against the boy and on post-mortem proceedings.

Ruchika had committed suicide a few years after the incident, following the arrest of her brother on false charges and continuous harassment by the police.

Earlier, the Centre said it was contemplating whether to appeal for enhancing punishment for Rathore or to charge him and others afresh with abetment of suicide

"We have registered FIRs in connection with both the complaints we had received. We have decided to register fresh cases taking into consideration the seriousness of the case," said Superintendent of Police Maneesh Chaudhary.

The action came after Ruchika's father and brother filed two complaints. They demanded lodging of FIRs under various sections of the IPC including attempt to murder and torture (in Ashu's case) and 'fabricating' the post-mortem report.

The decision was taken after Chaudhary met state Director General of Police Ranjiv Dalal and held consultations with him on the issue. Chaudhary said the sections mentioned in the FIR related to the allegations leveled in the complaints submitted on behalf of Ruchika's father S C Girhotra and brother Ashu.

Their family lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj, accompanied by Ruchika's friend Aradhana's father Anand Parkash, submitted the complaints to Chaudhary today morning. Bhardwaj told reporters that they have demanded action against Rathore and other officials for "registration of false cases and illegal confinement of Ashu after Ruchika's molestation in 1990".

The lawyer also said that as per the complaint of Ruchika's father, the police 'forged and fabricated' inquest proceedings and the post-mortem report of Ruchika. Rathore, a 1965 batch Indian Penal Service officer of Haryana who retired in 2002, was awarded a six-month jail term by a Central Bureau of Investigation's court in Chandigarh last week for molesting Ruchika, when he was an inspector general of police.

Ruchika consumed poison three years later on December 28, 1993 and died the following day. Ashu in his complaint said seven FIRs for different offences, including auto theft, were registered against him in a bid to 'victimise' him after the molestation of his sister.

"FIRs under various sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder and torture, be registered against all those responsible for my victimisation" the complaint said, demanding action against Rathore, Assistant Sub Inspector Jai Narayan, Sub Inspector Prem Dutt, ASI Sewa Singh and other officials.

Ashu had earlier alleged that he was mercilessly beaten up inside a police station in the presence of Rathore. The complaint of Girhotra said the inquest proceedings conducted by Sector 6 Police Station at the PGI in Chandigarh, where Ruchika was taken after she attempted suicide, was without jurisdiction as the Haryana police had no locus standi to conduct proceedings in Chandigarh that is a union territory.

The police party from Panchkula went to PGI and got the inquest and post-mortem done. The officials who should be booked for this include Rathore, Bhardwaj demanded.

"Everything was doctored at the instance of Rathore," he alleged, adding that police took the girl to the PGI Chandigarh instead of taking her to some local hospital.