Chandigarh: Disgraced former Haryana DGP
SPS Rathore`s counsel wife Abha today claimed before a court
that some of the charges made by the prosecution against him
in the Ruchika molestation case were added at a later stage
"to strengthen the case".
During the day-to-day hearing before Justice Jitendra
Chauhan today, Rathore`s wife-cum-counsel Abha Rathore said
the prosecution`s version of Rathore holding Ruchika`s hand
before slipping his arm around her waist was added at a later
stage.
She told the bench that the part was introduced "just to
make the case stronger" and claimed that the statements given
by Aradhana, the victim`s friend and prime witness in the
case, were nothing more than a "hearsay."
"Aradhana had deposed that she was told about the
molestation incident by Ruchika. Was this statement made at
all? Where was it made"," she told the court.
Justice Jitendra Chauhan observed that Aradhana and
Ruchika`s statements should not be examined too deeply as the
two were just minors at the time of the incident.
"Persons you are dealing with are children of tender age,
not aware that they would have to stand in the court at a
later stage", the judge observed. However he added that there
were consistency in their statements.
Abha had on May 26 filed a revision petition in the High
Court for suspension of sentence and grant of bail to Rathore,
a day after the session`s court awarded him 18-month jail term
for molesting budding tennis player Ruchika Girhotra.
68-year-old Rathore has been lodged in the high security
Burail jail since May 25.
Ruchika had committed suicide three years after being
molested by Rathore on August 12, 1990.
PTI
