Ruchika Girhotra case: A family’s 26-year wait for justice

In 1990 a teenage girl of Panchkula, who was also a budding tennis player, was molested by the then IGP of Haryana police S.P.S. Rathore. Twenty-six-years later, the apex court of the country on Friday convicted the former director general of police (DGP) of Haryana in the teenager molestation case.

The delayed justice is a story of the terrible ordeal and the tears shed by the family of Ruchika Girhotra. The family of Ruchika was shattered when they filed a complaint against Rathore, who molested the 14-year-old Ruchika. Her father Subash Girhotra who was a bank manager had to face many false cases and Ruchika’s younger brother Ashu was picked up and tortured by the Panchkula police.

In 1993 Ruchika committed suicide as her family members were allegedly facing continuous harassment at the behest of DGP Rathore.

There used to be policemen in plainclothes around Ruchika’s house to intimidate her family. Ashu was regularly picked up and tortured by Panchkula police.

Continuously harassed by Panchkula police, Ruchika’s family decided to move out and started living in Shimla. However, there was little hope for justice at that time for the family as S.P.S. Rathore rose to the rank of DGP and became the top cop of Haryana.

It was only in year 2000 when Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a charge sheet against Rathore, and he was finally convicted in 2009 by a special CBI court.

All through these years one family which stood by them was that of Anand Parkash. It was Anand Parkash’s daughter Aradhana who was the sole eyewitness to the Ruchika molestation case. The family of Anand Parkash stood by Ruchika’s family through the long legal battle.

Reacting on the apex court judgment which convicted Rathore in the molestation case Anand Parkash said that “we are satisfied by the Supreme Court decision but also a little surprised at the reduced sentence”.