Chandigarh, Dec 29 - A public interest litigation (PIL) was Tuesday filed in the Punjab and Haryana High Court seeking a "fresh case" against disgraced former Haryana director general of police (DGP) S. P. S. Rathore and asking that he be tried for abetment to suicide of a minor as well.

Senior lawyer and human rights activist Ranjan Lakhanpal, who filed the PIL, said that a fresh case was being sought against Rathore under Section 305 of the Indian Penal Code (abetment of suicide of a minor) as Ruchika Girhotra, whom he was accused of sexually molesting, was a minor when the incident happened.

The matter is likely to be taken up by the high court Jan 6 when it reopens after vacations.

"I have filed the PIL. The hearing will take place on Jan 6. We have sought a fresh case against Rathore under Section 305 of IPC," Lakhanpal told IANS.

Section 305 has harsher punishment, including death penalty or life imprisonment, if the offender abets the suicide of a minor or insane person.

Earlier, lawyers and investigating agencies had sought Section 306 (abetment of suicide) against Rathore.

Ruchika, a budding tennis player, was molested by Rathore Aug 12, 1990 in Panchkula town in Haryana, 10 km from here, and had committed suicide three years later by consuming poison Dec 28. She died the next day.

Incidentally, the PIL has been filed on the 16th death anniversary of Ruchika falling Tuesday. A memorial march was taken out by Ruchika's friend Aradhana, whose family fought her case against Rathore for 19 years. They marched to the house where Ruchika once lived in Sector 6 of Panchkula and committed suicide.

In the PIL, Lakhanpal also sought strict action against the management of the Sacred Heart School in Sector 26 for expelling Ruchika on illogical grounds.

A special CBI court in Chandigarh had held Rathore guilty last week for molesting Ruchika in Panchkula town Aug 12, 1990 and sentenced him to a six-month prison term. However, Rathore was immediately released on bail.

In the petition Lakhanpal has also sought appropriate action against all those officials who favoured Rathore and delayed the trial for 19 years.

"I have appealed to the high court to register a case against Rathore for implicating Ashu (Ruchika's brother) in 11 cases of theft and illegally detaining him and torturing him for two months," said Lakhanpal.  (IANS)