Decision on Rathore's bail plea reserved

The additional session court on Thursday reserved its decision on the plea of anticipatory bail for Ruchika molestation case convict former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore in the recently registered two FIRs, for Friday.

The additional district and sessions judge Sanjeev Jindal heard two-hour marathon arguments of Rathore’s lawyer wife Abha who sought anticipatory bail, as well as by counsel representing Ruchika case crusaders Anand Prakash and her father SC Girhotra and brother Ashu who demanded Rathore’s immediate interrogation by police and the counsel for the then ASI Sewa Singh, an accused of having helped Rathore, who also sought anticipatory bail.

Terming the two fresh FIRs as bundle of lies, Abha Rathore held that the local police had registered the same under media hype despite the fact that the same charges leveled against Rathore 16 years ago which were subsequently thoroughly examined and found baseless even at the level of apex court.

Contesting her claims, the counsel for Girhotras and Anand Prakash, held that the FIRs were lodged after 16 years only because of their consistent exertion in the context while the fact remained that the all concerned continued to be hounded by Rathore and his minions. "It is us who have been suffering all these years and it is because of our efforts that we have succeeded in getting Rathore convicted for molesting Ruchika 19 years ago while she ended her life three years later’’, counsel Pankaj Bhardwaj said and sought immediate interrogation of Rathore, the then Ambala SP K P Singh, sub-inspector Prem Dutt and two assistant sub-inspectors namely, Sewa Singh and Jai Narayan and others.

While the public prosecutor representing local police sought a few weeks time to file its reply, the counsel for accused SI Sewa Singh held that the same charges had been leveled against him 16 years ago and he had not been found guilty for any wrong in any inquiry or by any court, hence be granted anticipatory bail.

The court said it would give its decision on Friday.

It may be recalled that it was following the registration of two fresh FIRs by Panchkula police against Rathore and others on various charges mainly forging documents, illegal confinement of Ashu on December 29 last, that Abha had moved local court on December 30, 2009, and sought anticipatory bail. The district judge SP Singh had granted Rathore interim bail till today.

The third FIR for abetment to suicide was registered by local police on January 5, and the none of the accused including Rathore had yet moved court in the context.