Haryana Police on Tuesday night referred for legal examination two complaints lodged by father and brother of Ruchika Girhotra seeking filing of cases against ex-DGP SPS Rathore and other police officials for slapping false cases against the boy and on post-mortem proceedings.
"We have referred the two complaints to the Legal Cell of the state police for examination. A final decision would be taken after the issues raised in the complaints, the recent judgement in which Rathore got six months jail and other related issues are examined, " Superintendent of Police of Panchkula Maneesh Chaudhary told PTI.
He said that various other judgements of various courts, including the Supreme Court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court are also to be taken into consideration before arriving at a final decision on future course of action on the complaints submitted on behalf of Ruchika's father Subhash Chander Girhotra and her brother Ashu.
The father and brother of Ruchika, who was molested by Rathore in 1990, today filed two complaints against him and others in connection with the post-mortem proceedings and booking of her brother in false cases. They demanded registration of fresh FIRs.
Their family lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj, accompanied by Ruchika's friend Aradhana's father Anand Parkash, submitted the complaints of Girhotra and Ashu to Chaudhary.
The SP said police would take legal opinion as it is a 16-17 year-old matter. "Only after getting the legal opinion on the two complaints we would be in a position to detail the future course of action," he said
The SP, however, said the matter was free from limitation clause (on entertaining complaints after some period) in the CrPC and can be examined afresh though a final decision on proceeding further in the matter is yet to be taken.
Rathore, a 1965 batch IPS officer of Haryana who retired in 2002, was awarded a six months jail term by a CBI court here last week for molesting Ruchika, a budding tennis player in 1990 when he was an IGP. Ruchika consumed poison three years later on December 28, 1993 and died the following day.
The complaint of Girhotra said the inquest proceedings conducted by Sector 6 Police Station at the PGI in Chandigarh, where Ruchika was taken after she attempted suicide, was without jurisdiction as Haryana Police had no locus standi to conduct proceedings in Chandigarh which is a Union Territory.
The police party from Panchkula went to PGI and got the inquest post-mortem done. The officials who should be booked include Rathore, Bhardwaj demanded.
Ashu in his complaint said seven FIRs for different offences, including auto theft, were registered against him in a bid to victimise him after the molestation of his sister.
"FIRs, under various sections of the IPC, including attempt to murder and torture, be registered against all those responsible for my victimisation" the complaint said demanding action against Rathore, Assistant Sub Inspector Jai Narayan, Sub Inspector Prem Dutt, ASI Sewa Singh and other officials. PTI
