Probe against Rathore will take more time

Probe against Rathore will take more time  Chandigarh, Jan 4 : The special investigation team (SIT), set up by the Haryana police to examine criminal charges against former state police chief S. P. S. Rathore who is convicted of molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra, will take some more time to complete its work, its chief said Monday.

"We had got this case only last week and we are looking into every aspect of this matter. Our investigation is still under process and right now we cannot disclose our so far findings to anyone," Inspector General (Security) S. S. Kapoor, who heads the seven-member SIT, told IANS.

State Director General of Police (DGP) R. S. Dalal had constituted the SIT Dec 30 to probe charges, including non-bailable ones like attempt to murder, against Rathore, who headed the state police from October 1999 to December 2000.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had Friday asked the SIT to probe the case as fast as possible to ensure justice to the victim's family.

"We would try our level best to complete our probe as soon as possible but still we cannot rush with things as it is a very sensitive issue. We would submit our inquiry report to the concerned authorities at the earliest," Kapoor said.

The SIT is examining the charges made against Rathore in the Ruchika molestation case and subsequent charges in the two new first information reports (FIRs) registered Dec 29, including attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, forging evidence, wrongful confinement, fabricating false evidence and criminal conspiracy.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Chandigarh had Dec 21 held Rathore guilty of molesting 15-year-old Ruchika in Panchkula town Aug 12, 1990 and sentenced him to a six-month prison term. Rathore was immediately granted bail.

The budding tennis player had committed suicide three years after the incident.(IANS)