By NM Sampathkumar Iyangar,
The conviction by a CBI court of SPS Rathore is not for any ‘minor’ offence which politicos, bureaucrats, judges and police officers of India routinely commit. It is not for amassing wealth through corrupt ways; it is also not bumping off in a fake encounter some small time don who had fell out with the political bosses and become uncomfortable. The former Director General of Police of Haryana has been convicted for molesting a teenage girl Ruchika Girhotra way back in August 1990.
The IPS officer was the president of the Haryana Lawn tennis association in Panchkula. Ruchika was a budding tennis player. The horrendous experience and intimidation from authorities to force silence so traumatized the 14-year-girl that she committed suicide in 1993. When the family alleged harassment from the police drove her to suicide, they were forced to shift out of Panchkula. For, Rathore was the darling of four chief ministers. No wonder, he is roaming free after 19 years.
RR Singh, the investigation officer who probed the charges brought by Ruchika, accused Rathore of driving the girl to suicide. “In this case, I am of the considered view that whatever Ruchika a small girl of 15 yrs had stated about the molestation by SPS Rathore is based on true facts. I am of the opinion that a cognizable offense is made, therefore, recommend that a case under appropriate sections of Indian Penal Code be got registered.”
Singh faced severe pressure to prolong the probe, as it usually happens in India when big names are involved. He finally submitted a report to the Home Secretary JK Duggal after much delay. Both the officers confirmed that Ruchika’s statements against the former DGP were all based on facts. Yet, no case was registered to implicate Rathore in abetting suicide, thanks to his clout with satraps enjoying the support of Congress and BJP. The sentence he has now got is, therefore, a flea bite for the fiend. Rathore has to pay a paltry fine of Rs 1000 and has been sentenced to just six months in jail.
Ruchika’s fate in 1993 in the hands of minions who wield power in India was not much different from the one met by two girls in Shopian in May 2009. Neelofar Jan, a young woman of 22 years, and her 17-year-old sister-in-law Asiya ended their lives under mysterious circumstances. Here too, Kashmir’s political satraps who do New Delhi’s bidding swept aside allegations of foul play. Interestingly, the ‘honourable’ chief minister was sure that they died accidentally by drowning in a stream. Despite the massive furore pointing fingers at the security forces, he passed the verdict that that the women were not first raped and then murdered.
Thanks to the far louder outcry in Kashmir Valley due to the high global visibility of the disputed territory and satellite TV, the matter got investigated, albeit in the standard Indian style. The CBI has confirmed the CM’s story. To muddle the issue, it has recommended action against a dozen persons for fabricating the charges! It is not without reason that the agency is known as Criminals Brains of India, which exists essentially to cover up shenanigans of high-profile bosses.
JK Duggal, former home secretary, has confirmed Rathore’s culpability in the suicide of Ruchika Girhotra. He said: “It was a political interference (that delayed the matter) because at the bureaucratic level, we had recommended severe punishment. Both RR Singh and I had recommended it. Then the file was held up with the minister.” Duggal added: “The quantum of punishment is not justifiable. It should have been much more. The entire family has been harassed. He deserves severe punishment.”
India’s justice dispensation system is refractory to any such concern even from highly placed persons. Within moments of the sentencing, an ‘honourable’ judge granted bail to the sex maniac. The culprits of the Shopian rape will get the same ‘deterrent’ punishment as the cops of Haryana.
The top law enforcers in Haryana and in Kashmir were only emulating their contemporary, KPS Gill in Punjab. Gill is ‘reputed’ for creating mass graves for dissenters to keep politicians in power in humour. He too was convicted and sentenced for tormenting a woman. Rupen Deol, an IAS officer suffered hell as she refused to take a ‘friendly’ pat on her bum from the drunken boss lightly. He used his terrific influence with bosses to evade punishment for several years. Also the ‘supercop’ had the blind admiration of gullible Indian public working for him. KPS Gill paid a couple of lakh rupees in damages only when his conviction was confirmed at the highest court after decades. Treading in the footsteps of the evil hero, SPS Rathore too has plans to appeal against the verdict. He is very likely to die of old age like a king after amassing enough wealth for his kin and cronies.
Interestingly, Gill is still held in awe by perverted hyper patriots of India for his ‘services’ to the country – of mass slaughter of ‘separatists’. The Ruchika-Rathore episode has again revealed the failure of the construct of India. The entire system of governance put in place favours only Gills and Rathores. Corrupt and autocratic elements rule the roost in the name of democracy.
[A version of this commentary first appeared in The Milli Gazette 16-31 Jan 2010]
[The author is an unattached policy analyst based at Ahmedabad, India]