'I was terrorised and beaten mercilessly', says Ruchika's brother
Chandigarh:Nineteen years after the Ruchika molestation case, family members of 14-year old budding tennis star Ruchika Girhotra, who was allegedly molested by former Haryana
Director General of Police (DGP) SPS Rathore, have finally spoken about the troubles they had to undergo at the hands of Rathore. Rathore, charged with alleged molestation
of teenager Ruchika Girhotra, a promising young tennis star in 1990, was then
an Inspector General of Police and the head of Haryana Lawn Tennis Federation.
CBI's Special Magistrate J S Sidhu sentenced 67-year-old Rathore to six months
rigorous imprisonment (RI) during an in-camera proceeding and imposed a fine of
Rs 1,000, but Rathore got bail immediately. Teenager Ruchika killed herself three
years after the incident by drinking poison. A large number of facts are now coming
out with respect to the harassment and trauma that the Girhotra family faced from
the influential cop. The reports of the affidavit in which Ruchika's brother Ashu
Girhotra has recorded his ordeal, says Ashu was tortured Rathore's behest. In
the affidavit, he says, "I was terrorised and not given food or water for days
at a stretch and was beaten mercilessly. I was paraded in handcuffs in front of
my house while police abused my sister." Ashu adds that he was kept in police
custody for more than two months from October 23 to December 29,1993; during
which
he came to know that his sister Ruchika had committed suicide. Ruchika's father
Subhash Girhotra has also blamed the Haryana Government for saving Rathore, and
not allowing the wheels of justice to take the appropriate course. Om Prakash
Chautala was the Chief Minister of Haryana when the case came up; Subhash
Girhotra
has also accused Chautala of protecting Rathore.
