Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore had been ruthlessly unleashing police powers to intimidate and cow down those either related to Ruchika or chose to stand by her.
Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, who was convicted for molesting budding teenaged tennis player Ruchika in 1990, had been ruthlessly unleashing police powers to intimidate and cow down those either related to Ruchika or chose to stand by her.
The first victim of the unruly, vindictive Rathore was Ruchika herself who refused to withdraw her complaint. Within days she was hounded by goons whenever she left her house. Plainclothes policemen allegedly followed her, passing lewd remarks at Rathore’s behest. Soon Rathore allegedly “manipulated her rustication from the school” say sources.
When she refused to bend, Rathore reportedly targeted her father, Subhash Girhotra, a bank manager. Within months he was suspended from service in the bank on charges of corruption. His house was stoned at night as Rathore’s supporters held demonstrations in front of the house to intimidate him added sources.
Rathore allegedly managed to get six cases of auto theft against Ruchika’s brother, Ashu. He was kept in police custody for over two months and subjected to third degree treatment. He was released within hours after Ruchika committed suicide and all cases against him stood withdrawn.
According to sources, Pankaj Bhardwaj, the lawyer, who took up the Ruchika molestation case after her suicide, was slapped with two court cases, a defamation case and a case for compensation, for standing by the Ruchika’s family. Pankaj, who took no money for fighting the Ruchika case in court, had his share of mental torture for almost five years.
Anand and Madhu Prakash, who took up cudgels for Ruchika after her father and brother were hounded by Rathore, were also not spared revealed sources. Within weeks Anand Prakash, who was chief engineer with the Haryana Agriculture Marketing Board, stood demoted to the rank of superintending engineer and was soon given premature retirement. Though he challenged the state government orders and was given relief by court, yet he had to cut a sorry figure, sources added.
Anand’s daughter, Aradhana, a close friend of Ruchika and the sole witness in the case, received threatening phone calls for months till she married and settled in Australia say sources.
Allegedly, when he was heading the Vigilance team in the Haryana State Electricity
Board, Rathore ensured that HSEB officers raided the houses of several complainants against Rathore and imposed heavy penalties on flimsy grounds. Sources say Rathore also filed two cases demanding a compensation of Rs one crore each from journalists who reported on the matter say sources.
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