Tardy trial and meagre punishment

The retired Director General of Police of Haryana SPS Rathore was handed down meagre punishment of 6 months of jail term and a fine of Rs. 1000 in the 19 years old Ruchika molestation case. There is a charge of molesting the budding 14 years old Tennis player Ruchika Girotra in 1990 against Rathore. She had to commit suicide in 1993 because of severe mental agony ,unbearable sufferings of her family and delayed justice. Ruchika's brother was falsely implicated in several cases and with the help of Haryana bureaucracy, Rathore became able to lengthening the trial inordinately. On the one hand Ruchika family was suffering, S P S Rathore was getting promotion at regular interval.This tells a sorry state of affairs of successive government in Haryana. At last the case was handed over to CBI and the court handed punishment to Rathore. The crime that Rathore committed hangs every Indian’s head in shame and it becomes more so shameful when it was committed by the man who is entrusted with the task of keeping women safe against crime in the state. His punishment is too little and too late. It also reflects very badly on the judicial system in our country. The entire nation is outraged at the verdict of the CBI court and demands the re-opening of the case. The act of DGP Rathore is bestial which has echoed in streets and Parliament alike. Our political parties which were in power continued to give promotion to Rathore while there was a case of this nature was pending against in the court of law. This reflects the insensitivity of the state government also.Rathore was also the President of Tennis association during which he committed the crime against the budding Tennis player Ruchika. All credits go to Aradhana, a friend of Ruchika, and her parents who fougth all these years on her behalf and became able to bring the matter to this stage, which attracts the national focus. Media have also played vital role in highlighting Ruchika molestation case. The political master of Haryana at the time of the bestial act was committed should not have shown any leniency towards the culprit Rathore. If the government at that time took the matter seriously, SPS Rathore would not have been able able to get away with the crime. He should have been dismissed immediately after his criminal acts came to light. The inordinate delay in trying the Ruchika molestation case needs reforming our 150 years old India Penal Code to speed up the functioning of the judiciary. If the Court verdict had come in time, Ruchika would have not committed suicide. The court of law must try Rathore again,keeping in view that it is Rathore who drove Ruchika to commit suicide. He must be charged with abetting suicide.