Witnesses presented by SPS Rathore not trustworthy: Counsel

Witnesses presented by former Haryana top cop SPS Rathore in his favour in the Ruchika molestation case were not trustworthy, the Punjab and Haryana high court was told today.

As the day-to-day hearing on the revision petition of Rathore resumed today, complainant Madhu Parkash's counsel, Pankaj Bhardwaj detailed out before the court the sequence of events from August 11, 1990 to August 26, 1990 to prove the prosecution story against the convicted former DGP.

Bhardwaj contended that the witnesses presented by Rathore in the case in his favour were either his relatives or those close to him and they could not be trusted.

The counsel told justice Jitendra Chauhan that the witnesses presented by Rathore in the trial court were false and not trustworthy.

Bhardwaj read out the statement of prime witness Aradhana, the victim's friend, in which she had categorically stated that she saw Rathore molesting her friend.

He submitted that it was at the behest of Rathore that a mob staged protest outside the house of then DGP RR Singh, who on August 26 ordered a probe following the victim's complaint.

14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra, a budding tennis player, had committed suicide three years after the incident on August 12, 1990.

On May 25, a local court had awarded 18-month sentence to Rathore in the molestation case.

A day later, Rathore, lodged in Burail Jail, filed a revision petition before the Punjab and Haryana high court challenging his conviction.