30 Dec : Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday discussed with family members of Ruchika Girhotra and their lawyer the possibility to reopen the molestation case by adding abetment to suicide charges and sought more documents relating to the matter.
Advocate Pankaj Bharadwaj accompanied by Ruchika’s father Subhash and her friend Aradhana’s father Anand Prakash met the Home Minister and apprised him of developments in the case since 1990.
After about an hour-long meeting with the Home Minister, Bharadwaj told reporters, “there are so many ways to reopen the matter under section 306 (abetment to suicide). We are still thinking as to which is the best line to reopen the case”.
Bharadwaj said the Home Minister sought more documents regarding the case, which he would be providing to him by tomorrow.
“What essentially he (Chidambaram) wanted to know was few documents…and the best remedy that could be there. I narrated the entire sequence since 1990 and things which can be done under the law were discussed,” he said.
Bharadwaj said the ministry has the power to take up any matter to its logical end and can streamline the whole process.
The lawyer said, “We are absolutely satisfied with the meeting. The minister knew every fact of the case, although he wanted to know something more. We told him everything. He is well aware of the harassment of the family and related issues.”
Ruchika’s father Subhash said Chidambaram gave him a patient hearing and was very sympathetic towards him.
“All politicians and bureaucrats who are responsible for not lodging FIR and not taking appropriate action that time should be booked. They should take action against him (former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore) on the FIR that has been registered yesterday,” he said.
He said his family was uprooted from their house and the career of his son was ruined and they should be compensated for all the sufferings they underwent in the last 19 years.
The noose around the former Haryana top cop found guilty of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika, who later committed suicide, was tightened last night with Haryana police registering two FIRs.