Panchkula (Haryana), Dec 26 (IANS) Former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore, convicted of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra, should be stripped of all honours and the state government should compensate the victim’s family, Ruchika’s friend Aradhana’s father Anand Prakash said Saturday.
“Although six-month imprisonment is nothing before the gravity of crime but still we are satisfied that the court has identified Rathore as a culprit. Now we want the concerned authorities to intervene and to strip him of all rewards and medals,” Prakash told IANS.

Anand Prakash and his wife Madhu have been fighting for justice for Ruchika and her family for the last 19 years. Aradhana, Ruchika’s best friend, was the lone witness to the molestation incident.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh had Monday held Rathore, former Haryana director general of police (DGP), guilty of molesting Ruchika in Panchkula town Aug 12, 1990, and sentenced him to a six-month prison term.

The budding tennis player had committed suicide three years after the incident.

“Rathore managed to escape punishment for more than 19 years because he was enjoying patronage from the state government so our government is equally responsible for all this delay and sufferings of Ruchika’s family.

“We will file a plea in the court seeking financial compensation from the state government for Ruchika’s family. Our lawyer is evaluating all the facts and very soon we will move this application,” Prakash said.

Ruchika’s brother Ashu was also framed in several cases of car theft and allegedly tortured by the Haryana police at the behest of Rathore.

“We will also file a separate petition in Punjab and Haryana High Court, demanding to reopen the case and to add the abetment to suicide charge against Rathore as he was the lone reason behind Ruchika’s suicide.

“Earlier I was alone, so Rathore managed to manipulate things according to his will, but now I have the support of whole society. We will together make sure that the court awards him exemplary punishment,” said Prakash.