Click to play videoNew Delhi: A day after CNN-IBN's candlelight vigil and sustained campaign to get justice for Ruchika Girhotra, Haryana's former chief minister, Om Prakash Chautala - who has been accused of shielding and promoting former DGP SP Singh Rathore - has been forced to answer some tough questions. Rathore allegedly molested and abetted Ruchika's suicide.
Chautala has now defended himself absolutely denying any role in the case. He says that it was the Congress chief minister, Bansi Lal, who helped the top cop. He also blamed former chief minister Bhajan Lal for patronising Rathore.
"He (Rathore) was made DGP during Bhajan Lal's term. He was never promoted during my tenure. He was not given any special provisions. The moment the CBI report came before us, we suspended him. And this was the maximum we could do as the matter was subjudice. If I had acted further, it would have been considered contempt of court. The High Court and the Supreme Court had also granted him relief, so why should I have interfered in the court's judgments?" Chautala said on Friday at a press conference.
"Rathore was chargesheeted during my government. Back then, when the complaint came, an FIR was immediately lodged. Yet my government was not satisfied with the action. Therefore, we ordered a departmental enquiry into the case," Chautala said
The press conference was held a day after Ruchika's father categorically blamed Chautala of shielding Rathore as well as blaming the state police of harassing his family.
"She (Ruchika) was a very bright child and she was a very enthusiastic tennis player. She was studying in a convent school, but Rathore had her expelled from there. They had stones pelted at my house, they carried protests outside my house, they implicated my son Ashu in false cases. The court said that no evidence whatsoever could be found against Ashu Girhotra and all statements made against him were false statements. The Haryana government and Haryana Police have been involved in this, especially Chautala because Rathore was Chautala's right-hand man. This six month sentence for Rathore has hurt us. We want justice. My whole family is crying for we will never get our daughter back," he said.
Meanwhile, Ruchika's friend Aradhna and her father Anand Prakash - who have been campaigning for justice 19 years - say they are horrified at the sentence and want a 10-year jail term for Rathore.
Anand Prakash said, "Action should be taken against the school for suspending Ruchika. The main culprit was then home minister Sampat Singh, who ensured Rathore was saved. There was clear political pressure to shield Rathore."
He said that the system and the government had failed Ruchika as it had 19 years ago.
Then DGP RR Singh, who conducted an inquiry on September 3, 1990, had suggested in his report that a case be registered against Rathore under appropriate IPC sections. However, this was not done. Singh now says that the whole country will stand behind Ruchika's family and aid them in their quest for justice.
He added that if Ruchika's father was making allegations against Chautala, then he (her father) must have some evidence. "No one blames a politician without any evidence," said Singh.
CNN-IBN has in its possession, the text of the judgment on Rathore. The judgment says Rathore had clout with the government. It also says that no value was attached to RR Singh report and that no action on Rathore despite Singh's recommendation.
LAW MINISTER SPEAKS
Law Minister Veerappa Moily has told CNN-IBN: "A 19-year delay in getting justice is unpardonable. We are working at getting more stringent laws into place. We are putting Ruchika's case on fast-track."
He added that all other cases such as Ruchika's also needed to be fast-tracked.
He said that India needed to remove gender bias from laws along with needing provision for higher punishment in such cases.
Government sources have now told CNN-IBN that the CBI has been asked by the Government to appeal against the sentence. The CBI is likely to push for maximum punishment against Rathore. Under the present law, the maximum punishment that Rathore can get is two years in prison.
The Haryana High Court has sentenced Rathore to six months in jail and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000 on him.
TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
On Thursday, civil society activists got together to seek re-trial and demanded reforms in the law in terms of child sex abuse.
"He (Rathore) came out smiling after the court verdict. There was that smug on his face that set our blood boiling. He took pride in the contempt of the system. It was inhuman," said Kanan Jaiswal, a 60-year-old activist at the candlelight vigil held in New Delhi.
Ruchika's friend and the lone witness in the case, Aradhana Gupta, said the six-month sentence awarded after 19 years of trial was no punishment at all and that there was a need to make reforms in the judicial and political setup.
"The existing political and judicial machinery is not enough to make the country safer for women. There is a need to change. Every small girl needs to be protected," she said.
Recalling her association with Ruchika and the trial, Gupta said she regretted not being able to save her friend's life.
"There was a feeling of helplessness that I couldn't prevent her from committing suicide. I was 13 at that time and I thought that I would not be able to put up a fight but my parents supported me and were very protective," she said.
Fourteen-year-old Ruchika, a budding tennis player, was molested in 1990 by Rathore, the then inspector general of police. She committed suicide three years later by consuming poison.
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