Panchkula court reserves order on Rathore's bail plea

Panchkula: Panchkula District and Sessions Court on Thursday reserved its order on the anticipatory bail plea of former Haryana director general of police SPS Rathore in two fresh FIRs in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

"Court hearing is over. Order on bail has been reserved till tomorrow (Friday)," said Girhotras lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj.

During the hearing on the bail plea Rathore's lawyer and wife Abha claimed that Ruchika's father Subhash Chander Girhotra had been charged with corruption during the bail plea hearing of her husband at a Punckula court.

Abha said that Aradhana Prakash Gupta's father Anand Prakash was compulsorily retired due to corruption cases before 1990.

Trying to malign the Girhtoras who have filed three new FIRs agaist Rathore charging him with molesting, harassing and abetment of suicide of Ruchika, Abha claimed that the role of the girl's maid should also be investigated.

She told the court that Ruchika's maid Veena used to stay in Girhotra house and used to sleep in same room as that of Ruchika's father.

She also blamed the media for its role in the Ruchika molestation case saying that fresh FIRS were registered due to media hype.

"Whatever media is showing is wrong," she said.

Sources have told CNN-IBN that Haryana government is unlikely to oppose Rathore's bail plea and will also not seek custodial interrogation of the former DGP.

Meanwhile, Punjab and Haryana High Court also issued a notice to the Haryana government, Union of India and Rathore on a public interest litigation filed by a lawyers Ranjan Lakhanpal.

The former DGP has been on an interim bail. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday dismissed Rathore's plea demanding immediate hearing of a petition seeking to quash a new FIR against him.

Filed by the Haryana police the FIR charges him with abetment to suicide and Rathore demanded quashing of FIR on grounds of delay.

Haryana Police on Tuesday registered a FIR against Rathore under Section 306 (abetment to suicide) CrPC.

Rathore molested Ruchika on August 12, 1990 and the youngster committed suicide three years later on December 29, 1993.

He has already been convicted in the molestation case. He has been sentenced to six months in jail and also fined Rs 1,000. However, Rathore managed to get bail immediately after his conviction.

Aradhna is the sole eyewitness in the Ruchika molestation case.