'I was terrorised and beaten mercilessly', says Ruchika's brother - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Nineteen years after the Ruchika molestation case, family members of 14-year old budding tennis star Ruchika Girhotra, who was allegedly molested by former Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) SPS Rathore, have finally spoken about the troubles they had to undergo at the hands of Rathore. Rathore, charged with alleged molestation of teenager Ruchika Girhotra, a promising young tennis star in 1990, was then an Inspector General of Police and the head of Haryana Lawn Tennis Federation. CBI's Special Magistrate J S Sidhu sentenced 67-year-old Rathore to six months rigorous imprisonment (RI) during an in-camera proceeding and imposed a fine of Rs 1,000, but Rathore got bail immediately. Teenager Ruchika killed herself three years after the incident by drinking poison. A large number of facts are now coming out with respect to the harassment and trauma that the Girhotra family faced from the influential cop. The reports of the affidavit in which Ruchika's brother Ashu Girhotra has recorded his ordeal, says Ashu was tortured Rathore's behest. In the affidavit, he says, "I was terrorised and not given food or water for days at a stretch and was beaten mercilessly. I was paraded in handcuffs in front of my house while police abused my sister." Ashu adds that he was kept in police custody for more than two months from October 23 to December 29,1993; during which he came to know that his sister Ruchika had committed suicide. Ruchika's father Subhash Girhotra has also blamed the Haryana Government for saving Rathore, and not allowing the wheels of justice to take the appropriate course. Om Prakash Chautala was the Chief Minister of Haryana when the case came up; Subhash Girhotra has also accused Chautala of protecting Rathore.