Facing imminent arrest following filing of fresh FIRs against him in the Ruchika case, former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore on Wednesday moved an anticipatory bail plea before the sessions court in Panchkula which did not grant him any immediate relief.
Abha, the lawyer-wife of 67-year-old Rathore, submitted before District and Sessions Judge S P Singh that "fabricated, twisted and forged" facts were being presented by the family of Ruchika Girhotra in connection with the molestation case, in which the former IPS officer has got six months imprisonment.
In a 40-page petition, she alleged that her husband was facing a "nothing but a trial by the media" and sought protection of the court.
To a question by the judge on whether she was in possession of the copies of the fresh FIRs, Abha replied in the packed courtroom, "We came to know of the FIRs and the fresh charges through the media. We want protection of this court in view of the media trial and distortion of facts."
After hearing the arguments, the judge first adjourned the proceedings, saying he would have to go through the details and later issued notice to the state for a reply on January one. The court did not grant Rathore any immediate relief on his plea.
The court told Rathore that he should come with the relevant papers in order to get relief and could not make his plea on the basis of newspaper reports citing relevant sections of IPC.
The judge told him that he had no powers to give him blanket anticipatory bail and he could move the higher courts. The court however issued notice to Haryana government to give reply by January 1.
As the former DGP along with his lawyer wife returned to his house, the tension was evident.
Said Rathore : “We will only talk to the court. The day you satisfy me that you (the media) have the constitutional powers to decide on judicial matters, I will speak”. Rathore's lawyer wife asked the mediapersons to take whatever visuals they wanted and move on. She also refused to speak to the media.
Rathore has been keeping a low profile following an uproar after he got away lightly in the Ruchika Girhotra case. On Wednesday he stepped out of his residence in Panchkula to seek anticipatory bail from the local court. He went to meet his lawyer in the wake of fresh FIRs being filed against him.
67-year-old Rathore, accompanied by his lawyer wife Abha, was chased by reporters as he entered the court premises to meet his lawyer Ajay Jain who had defended him in the case.
The noose around the former Haryana top cop found guilty of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika, who later committed suicide, was tightened on Tuesday night with the police registering two FIRs and moves were afoot to file a fresh case of abetment of suicide.
Haryana police has registered two FIRs on the basis of complaints by Ruchika's father Subhash Chander Girhotra and her brother Ashu regarding alleged tampering of the post-mortem report by police and harassment of Ashu including attempt to murder him.
On a parallel plane, the Union Home and Law Ministries are also considering appealing against the trial court's verdict in the case to seek enhanced punishment for Rathore.
Meanwhile, Ruchika's father and their lawyer Prakash Bharadwaj are expected to meet Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi to discuss the case. They will be accompanied by Anand Prakash, father of Ruchika's friend Aradhana.
Rathore had a grim face in sharp contrast to the wide grin he sported the day he got six months imprisonment in the case by a trial court earlier this month. Rathore refused to take questions from the reporters.
Ruchika's lawyer Bharadwaj said he would brief the Home Minister about various issues relating to the case.
"I know very well he (Chidambaram) is aware about the law.I will only acquaint him of the various steps which can be taken.The decision will certainly be his," he said.
"I can assist him and provide him all the documents. I have been called and the ball is in his court. I am very sure that now onwards things will be different for every woman in this country as I have seen the Law Minister and the Home Minister taking the issue very seriously," Bharadwaj said. PTI
