6 months RI to Rathore is due to prolonged trial and his age

While holding that his guilt has been proved to the hilt,the CBI court which convicted former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore for outraging the modesty of 14-year-old Ruchika 19 years back,awarded the lighter six months jail term to him.

While holding that his guilt has been proved to the hilt,the CBI court which convicted former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore for outraging the modesty of 14-year-old Ruchika 19 years back,awarded the lighter six months jail term to him due to prolonged trial and the age of the convict.

Giving the reason for the six month sentence for the offence under section 354 IPC which provides for a maximum punishment of upto two years,the court said,”The prolonged trial and the age of the convict can be considered while passing the order on quantum of sentence.”

Not happy with the quantum of sentence pronounced after a 19-year-old legal battle,Anand Parkash,father of Ruchika’s close friend,Aradhana,said he would press for re-opening of the case seeking a stiffer punishment for 67-year-old Rathore.

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Ruchika Girhotra,a promising tennis player,was molested by Rathore,the then Inspector General of Police in1990. She committed suicide three years later by consuming poison.

“The guilt of the convict has already been proved upto hilt. The allegations against the convict were that he assaulted and used criminal force against victim Ms. Ruchika with intention to outrage her modesty and during this process,he caught hold of her hand and with his other hand caught hold of her waist,dragged her towards him and embraced her against her will and thereby outraged her modesty,” the Special CBI Magistrate Jasbir Singh Sidhu said in his 97-page order.

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