Justice Delayed and Denied: Police Chief Receives Only 6 Months and $20 for Assault of 14-Year-Old Girl

There is a horrible case out of India where a former senior police officer has been able to openly flaunt and manipulate the legal system after molesting a 14-year-old girl. SPS Rathore allegedly used his authority to harass the family of Ruchika Girhotra and obstruct the investigation into the assault of the promising tennis player. Now, the outrage has grown after Rathore was given a mere six months sentence and told to pay 1,000 rupees ($20). Ruckika was not in the court room when Rathore reportedly laughed at the sentence. She committed suicide after years of harassment by the police.

The assault occurred in 1990 and, unlike so many assault cases, Ruckika filed a complaint in 1990 that she was assaulted by Rathore. That triggered the wrath of not just Rathore but the police.

Rathore was a senior police officer and president of Haryana state Lawn Tennis Association. Despite the allegations of assault and harassment, he was later promoted to the head of Haryana police.

Notably, while he was able to delay the case for 19 years, the state police chief found credible evidence of the crime. Before her suicide in 1993, local officials had Ruckika thrown out of school for a “late fee payment” and local police repeatedly accused her 14-year-old brother Ashu of theft. The harassment of Ashu became so obviously and serious that the Punjab and Haryana high court ordered police to stop the harassment.

Rathore’s own supervisor has reported that he was also threatened when he looked into the matter, including protests allegedly organized by Rathore in a local slum, here.

With outrage growing over the case and the sentence, the government is attempting feeble ways to respond like yesterday’s show cause order of why it should not take away Rathore’s medals and reduce his pension, here.

For a video of Rathore walking outside of the courthouse, click here.

For the full story, click here.