Ruchika Girhotra case: SPS Rathore released

Former Haryana director general of police SPS Rathore, serving a sentence for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra in 1990, was released from jail on Friday evening after the Supreme Court on Thursday granted him bail. The court has, however, asked Rathore not to leave the country.

The apex court granted bail to Rathore after taking into consideration the closure reports by the Central Bureau of Investigation in two of the three fresh cases filed by the family of Ruchika against Rathore. Bail was also granted because the former top cop has already completed six months of his 18-month sentence.

However, Ruchika's family is completely dismayed after Rathore's release.

The three cases involve doctoring of the post-mortem report, filed by Ruchika's father S C Girhotra, and a torture case filed by her brother Ashu, who has also accused Rathore in a third case of abetment to suicide of the 14-year-old girl. While the CBI filed the closure reports in two cases before a special magistrate in Chandigarh, the probe in the abetment to suicide case has been stayed by the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The fresh cases were registered in December last year following a public outcry when Rathore was sentenced to six months imprisonment for molesting Ruchika. However, the CBI challenged the verdict in a sessions court in Chandigarh, which enhanced the sentence to 18 months.

The CBI had rebutted eight charges made by Ruchika's father and four allegations made by Ashu. Ruchika's brother had claimed that he was taken home in a semi-nude condition and false cases were slapped on him about auto-theft at the behest of Rathore. The lower court has admitted the two closure reports and issued notices summoning the father-son duo on November 25.

In its report, the CBI had claimed that the allegations could not be substantiated "as per the documentary evidence and oral testimony of witnesses".

Ruchika, a budding tennis player, had committed suicide three years after being molested by Rathore on August 12, 1990.The Punjab and Haryana high court had on September 1 dismissed Rathore's appeal challenging his conviction and the sentence, saying his conduct as a top official was 'shameful'.

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