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Ruchika Case Smriti Sharma Vasudeva Tribune News Service Chandigarh, May 20 The appeal was deferred owing to the lengthy judgment in the case. Rumours had been doing the rounds that in view of streamlining of work in the district court cases pertaining to different prosecuting agencies were being shifted to other courts. Hence, the verdict of this appeal would most likely be delivered by a CBI special court instead of the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge. In fact, latter had written to the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking directions in the case as it was listed for judgment. However, the matter became clear in the morning when the court of the Additional District and Sessions Judge received directions from the high court directing it to go ahead with the verdict. The Additional District and Sessions Judge had on May 11 fixed the verdict for today on three pleas. One plea pertains to the former police chief challenging his six-month rigorous imprisonment for “outraging the modesty” of Ruchika Girhotra. The other two pleas pertain to appeals filed by the victim’s family and the CBI seeking enhancement of the sentence.On December 21, 2009, the retired IPS officer was convicted for molesting Ruchika Girhotra following which he was sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment. Thereafter, Rathore moved an appeal against the sentence. However, the hearings were adjourned following an attack on Rathore on February 8, 2010. The day-to-day in-camera proceedings in the case resumed on May 3 and concluded on May 11. Probe to and by June end: CBI
New Delhi: CBI director Ashwini Kumar said today that the agency would conclude its probe in the FIRs against SPS Rathore by June end. Ruchika’s brother had registered two FIRs against Rathore - one for using his influence for lodging false cases against him and second for abetting Ruchika’s suicide by harassing her family. Ruchka’s father SC Girhotra had also lodged an FIR against Rathore for tempering with evidence to escape any penalty. Kumar refuted media reports that the agency had not found any evidence against Rathore in any of the three cases, but declined to get into details. “The file has not reached me yet. How we can say the probe has concluded?” he asked. — TNS Rathore’s body language
n The convicted cop arrived with his counsel wife Abha Rathore at 2 pm. Before he left for courts, he smiled and waved at mediapersons gathered outside his house in Panchkula. Rathore did not remove his sunglasses even inside the courtroom and kept on chewing during the 15-minute proceedings. n Later, while coming out of the courts, he again smiled at the journalists, but this time it was not a smirk but an unassuming smile with folded hands. He refused to talk to the media.
Reaction
After the adjournment, Ruchika’s father Subhash Girhotra said: “If the verdict was pronounced today, it would have been really good. Nevertheless, I have full faith in the judiciary and know Rathore will go behind bars”.
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