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Ruchika Girhotra: Where's The Justice?
DesiGirl
19 years, 400 hearings, 40 adjournments and at the end of it, Ruchika Girhotra's family had no justice for the injustice meted out to them in 1990. It was in 1990 that 14-year-old Ruchika was molested by DGP Shambhu Pratap Singh Rathore and within the span of three years, drove the child to take her own life rather than face a day more of torture and harassment at the hands of Rathore and his goons.
And the punishment? Six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1000. That is what the life of Ruchika Girhotra is worth. That is the price of her honour, the price of the harassment her family has faced.
Shame!
A supposed pillar of the community in Chandigarh, Rathore, a Director General of Police, sworn to protect the lives of the common man, woman and child cannot keep his glands in check and molests a child, one who is the same age as his daughter and is in fact, her classmate. He, Rathore, is defended in the court of law by his wife. Not one to sit back, he keeps up a daily assault on the Girhotras - Ruchika, her ten-year-old brother Ashu and their father. Ashu is repeatedly tortured and beaten in a bid to make Ruchika take back the case. Ruchika is kicked out of school on trumped up charges and their father is harassed at work, with false cases of murder and theft filed against the Girhotras, man and boy.
After years of this non-stop harassment, Ruchika commits suicide. Not even an FIR has been filed for the atrocity committed against her and the teenager finally gives up her fight. But still her family wasn't left in peace until they were driven out of Chandigarh, forced to take up menial jobs to survive.
Whilst the lives of the Girhotras continued in a downwards spiral, things couldn't be more different for Rathore. Less than a year after Ruchika's death, Rathore gets promoted to Director General of Police. In 1999, he is recommended for a President's Medal for Distinguished Service.
Meanwhile, the fight for justice for Ruchika continues. Ruchika's friend Aradhana Prakash, the eye-witness, is running a signature campaign to garner support. Her family has appeared on NDTV, where Barkha Dutt interviewed various power figures like Kiran Bedi. Online petitions have been set-up, in a bid to get the President's eye.
Will the Girhotras get justice? Will Rathore get his comeuppance? Going from the past, where Jessica Lal and Priyadarshini Mattoo got justice after a furious campaign kicked up by the people, one can live in hope. But justice? Basic rights of the common man? Truth? Do these have a place in the Indian society? Or will money and power be the only currencies and, in the words of Kiran Bedi, the criminal justice system be on the side of the criminals?
Aditi Chaudhuri
URL
December 31, 2009
12:57 AM
gr8 work on the article!!
i hope it will act as a catalyst to raise people's conscience..
Sumanth
December 31, 2009
01:41 AM
India has 3 crore cases pending in different courts. One chief justice is accused of grabbing 400 acres of land.
In India, 40 lac illegal arrests are done by police every year (out of total 68 lacs).
And people are busy expecting some messiah like Bhagat Singh to get birth in their neighbour's house.
Indian people are stupid idiots who do not know where their ass it. Otherwise, how can they sleep, when policemen have become criminals and judiciary is dysfunctional.
There is no time for Indians as they are busy going to office, to pubs, to watch Cricket, to go to multiplexes and have a life, while they live in a stinking drain.
When will people clean that stinking drain?
If people have any responsibility, then they will come out on to the street asking change right now.
Either one comes out to streets to protest being a commando or one is a traitor to his or her own family and community.
There is no other choice. Either you are a commando or you are a traitor in a situation when there is so much of crime by police and there is no justice.
karan
December 31, 2009
06:44 AM
It is shameful to have such top authorities.no wonder people turn to extremists like naxalites,taliban for justice.But in this case where are they?
FF
December 31, 2009
11:32 PM
... And look at biggest morons in Law/Home ministry who are looking to make molestation a cognizable and non bailable offense. WTF?
Sorry to say , but making this offense cognizable and non bailable will be worse than giving justice to Ruchika. It will generate much worse situation for the society on the whole.
For those who do not know what is "cognizable and non bailable offense"...it means police can throw a male in jail at mere complaint of a female without even verifying the merits. Why do we want justice for one citizen at the cost of subjecting thousand others to gross injustice. Why does not Govt take steps to ensure clean and transparent judicial/police system instead of making laws gross, blunt and hence unjust.
Why do not feminist(who claim themselves to be moderate) voice a strong concern AGAINST making molestation cognizable and non bail-able offense.
Instead of writing dozen redundant articles about how to give justice Ruchika why not write about how to prevent thousands other from being subjected to gross injustice.
Ledzius
January 1, 2010
01:33 AM
This incident reminds me of the one involving KPS Gill and an IAS officer several years ago. However, there justice was served and Gill had to pay Rs. 2 lakhs to some women's organizations. Apparently you get justice only when you are well connected. Full story here-
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050728/main5.htm
jai vinayak
URL
March 2, 2010
12:34 PM
Help! Urgent Save my life!!!!
Real Estate gangsters are after me to kill me! I am surrounded by 100 gangsters in various guises at all times!!!! I can be killed any moment and Bangalore police working for the criminals are themselves chasing me the whole country for the past 3 months! And they're after me to kill me!!
Please help save my life. Pls read http://truthbottle.blogspot.com for all detailed information of this country wide chase by bangalore police and real estate gangster network!!
This is not a joke! Read my above blog for this ghastly expose!! I will be killed in a few days which is inevitavble but you still have this to know who did it!
Even if you cannot help you can still help in spreading the news to as many as possible which can possibly help me in a big way
jai vinayak
IIMB Batch of 2000
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