Chandigarh administration initiates probe against Ruchika’s school
December 29th, 2009 - 12:35 pm ICT by IANSChandigarh, Dec 29 (IANS) The Chandigarh administration has initiated a magisterial inquiry into the role of a leading all girls school Sacred Heart here for expelling teenage molestation victim Ruchika Girhotra in September 1990.
Ruchika was expelled from the school for unexplained reasons just a month after she was molested by former Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) S.P.S. Rathore Aug 12, 1990.
Chandigarh Home Secretary Ram Niwas, who is also the education secretary, has said that an inquiry will be conducted to probe the role of the school management in the expulsion.
“I had got the fax message from Madhu Prakash (complainant in the case) yesterday, demanding a fair probe against the school. Therefore I have marked this probe to sub-divisional magistrate (south) and told her to submit the inquiry report to me within seven days,” Niwas told IANS Tuesday.
He added: “The probe will go into all aspects of this issue and will seek answers from the school about why they expelled Ruchika.”
So far the management of the school, in Sector 26 of this city, has been silent on the expulsion of Ruchika, who was a class 10 student at that time.
At one stage the school had cited non-payment of monthly fees as a reason behind this expulsion. Rathore had used this expulsion to counter the chargesheet against him by claiming that Ruchika had been expelled on moral grounds.
A special CBI court in Chandigarh had held Rathore guilty Dec 21 of molesting Ruchika in Panchkula town Aug 12, 1990 and sentenced him to a six-month prison term. However, Rathore was immediately released on bail.
Ruchika, a budding tennis player, committed suicide three years after the incident.
A senior lawyer and a human rights activist Ranjan Lakhanpal is going to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Tuesday in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, demanding strict action against the school for expelling Ruchika.
- Probe begins into Ruchika's expulsion from school - Dec 30, 2009
- Inquiry officer likely to question Ruchika's school principal - Dec 31, 2009
- Ruchika was never expelled, says school - Jan 01, 2010
- Church for probe into reasons for Ruchika's school expulsion - Dec 30, 2009
- Magistrate submits report on Ruchika's expulsion from school - Jan 07, 2010
- Ruchika case: Punjab and Haryana High Court seeks details of Rathore's promotion - Nov 17, 2010
- Principal expelled Ruchika, but not Rathore's daughter (Second Lead) - Jan 07, 2010
- Probe report into Ruchika's expulsion from school on Thursday - Jan 06, 2010
- Ruchika's school angry over 'irresponsible' inquiry - Jan 10, 2010
- Ruchika case: Court serves notice to Centre, Haryana and Rathore - Jan 07, 2010
- Probe in Ruchika's expulsion from school still on - Jan 03, 2010
- Ruchika molestation case: Ruchika alma mater in dock as PIL to be filed - Dec 28, 2009
- Ruchika's school principal under scanner now - Dec 31, 2009
- On Ruchika's 16th death anniversary, government says case to be re-probed (Roundup) - Dec 29, 2009
- Verdict on Rathore's appeal in Ruchika's case today - May 25, 2010
Tags: cbi court, dgp, education secretary, girls school, home secretary, inquiry report, magisterial inquiry, molestation victim, moral grounds, prison term, public interest litigation, punjab and haryana high court, ram niwas, rathore, ruchika, sacred heart, school management, strict action, tennis player, unexplained reasons