Molester cop SPS Rathore gets bail till Jan 7

Former Haryana Director General of Police SPS Rathore got a major reprieve on Friday when the district and sessions court granted him interim bail till January 7 in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Taking up his application for anticipatory bail, the court asked the Haryana government to file its reply by that time and restrained the police from taking him into custody.

Rathore would be allowed interim bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs100,000 in each of the two cases if he is arrested by the Haryana police before January 7, the court said. It directed Rathore to submit himself for interrogation if the police demanded so.

Rathore has been also asked to deposit his passport with the police and not to leave the country.

Pankaj Bhardwaj, counsel for the Girhotra family, accused Rathore’s lawyer wife Abha of misrepresenting facts in the court.
Bhardwaj said the court did not allow arguments.

Inside the court, Abha gave a new twist to the case saying
Ruchika did not commit suicide because of her alleged molestation but due to “pressure from her stepmother, Veena Girhotra.”

“There was no stepmother of Ruchika. During the inquest proceedings (in Dec 1993), the police came out with this character (Veena Girhotra). There is no such person. By January 7, we will submit all documents that will reveal the truth. We will oppose the bail,” Bhardwaj said.

He questioned the role of the Panchkula police in not arresting Rathore for three days after registering two cases, which included non-bailable sections like attempt to murder, against him.