By M Shankar

In democratic India there is an ongoing nexus between the police and the politicians and bureaucrats and businessmen, and anything is possible. You could be denied justice, criminals could get rewards, cops could do horrible things to you and victims deprived of their liberty, and even pushed to take their own lives.

A horrible thing happened some 19 years ago but what happened just last week was more disgusting. Inspector General of Haryana Police, SPS Rathore, molested an innocent teen in 1990, the girl committed suicide three years later disappointed at not getting justice; and now the man gets only six months jail time and Rs. 1000 fine for his crime! The prima facie case was established way back in 1997 but things did not come to their logical conclusion earlier. The top cop managed to keep his case on the back burner.

The girl, a 14-year promising tennis player, Ruchika, was molested by Rathore. He was also the President of the state tennis association then, and so in a position to make or mar the future of a budding player. He chose the latter and had his way.

She was violated, abused, humiliated, and then denied justice, while the beast was promoted as the Director General of Police in the state. Then Ruchika committed suicide. Her father and brother were harassed, tortured and humiliated. His brother was also jailed.

Some police officers actively worked to conceal facts or shielded the top cop who had the audacity to even threaten his own boss. Even four successive Chief Ministers were indifferent or complacent, callous or indebted to the culprit. They and some bureaucrats helped in promoting the man as Haryana’s Director General of Police. [Now they all plead innocent.]

The matter seemed to end there.

But no. Ruchika’s friend Aradhana and her family continued her fight. Meanwhile Rathore retired in 1992, but the fight for justice went on, though very slowly and unsure of the outcome. Finally, 19 years after the heinous act the court found SPS Rathore guilty.

It should have been a matter for satisfaction but the quantum of punishment was, kind of, adding insult to injury. For a crime of molesting a teenager and causing her to end her life, for torture and harassment of her relatives, and for staging demonstrations for himself and against the victim’s family, the punishment was only six months in jail and a fine of a paltry amount of Rs. 1,000!

Nothing could be farther from justice and fair play. What kind of  justice is that! Certain steps are reported to be under consideration, enhancing the punishment is probably not one of them as the CBI had excluded ‘abetment to suicide’ from the charges. Phew!

The whole thing is a shameless travesty of justice.

And when the wheels of justice finally turn, somehow, the rich and powerful are able to escape just and appropriate punishment. They sometimes get away entirely with their crimes; sometimes they get just a slip on their wrist.

In this case the top cop molested a girl of just 14 years, the girl didn’t get justice for three years and committed suicide, but the police officer got only six months jail for this heinous crime! He had successfully evaded justice for 19 years and in the meantime even got a promotion! Something is terribly wrong here!
In Chandigarh special magistrate JS Sidhu awarded six months and the small fine to Rathore. I don’t know if that was the maximum he could have given based on some rules, or it was his discretion. In any case, the punishment is much too lenient for the unpardonable crime the top cop committed.

According to newspaper reports Madhu Parkash, mother of Ruchika's friend, had approached the Punjab and Haryana High court in 1997, seeking a probe into the incident after a police report had stated that prima facie there was a case against Rathore. That was also seven years after the crime and four years after Ruchika had killed herself.

Later, the investigation into the case was handed over to the CBI in 1998 and the trial was held in a Patiala court.

The case was transferred to the CBI special magistrate Chandigarh by the high court that issued directions for day-to-day hearing and completion of trial within a month.

Madhu said after the verdict: “I am elated that Rathore has been awarded six months of RI, but at the same time I am saddened that it took so long for the court to decide on the matter. Had the verdict against Rathore been pronounced earlier, I think Ruchika would not have committed suicide.”

Madhu's husband Anand Parkash, a retired Haryana government employee, said, “I think the quantum of punishment is less. Rathore was instrumental in getting the case delayed for such a long period. I will continue the fight against those police officials and bureaucrats who helped Rathore to get the case covered up.”

“These people are criminals and I think an example should be set up so that nobody can ever dare to think of outraging the modesty of women,” he added. Hope something solid is done, and sooner.