HC issues notice to CBI on Rathore's petitions

Without giving any interim protection, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation for January 18 on disgraced former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore's petitions seeking anticipatory bail in FIRs containing serious criminal charges.

Rathore also sought quashing of a third FIR which charges him with abetment to suicide in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case.

Justice Sabina issued the notices after brief arguments during which CBI said that they needed a week's time to file a reply since the three FIRs had been registered only Monday evening after the cases were transferred to them from the Haryana police which had entrusted the probe to a Special Investigation Team.

Rathore's lawyer-wife Abha sought interim protection till the time CBI files its reply, but the court did not issue any direction on this.

"Let them bring the SIT report with the statements recorded so far. If anything is against us we are ready to face the charges," she told the court where the disgraced former IPS officer, who was awarded six months' imprisonment last month by a CBI court, was not present.

CBI's counsel Assistant Solicitor General and Special Public Prosecutor Anmol Rattan Sidhu said that in the FIRs the charges against the former DGP are like a reign of terror (having been let loose by Rathore).

"We registered the FIR on Monday evening. Investigations are yet to start. We need a week's time to file the replies," Sidhu said.

Following the CBI plea, Abha sought interim protection against arrest in the three fresh FIRs and sought from the court that some direction be given because the CBI is seeking time to file a reply after which the judge issued a notice to the CBI for January 18.

Earlier in the morning appearing for Rathore, who filed two petitions challenging Panchkula session court orders denying him anticipatory bail, his lawyer-wife Abha submitted before the court that she needed sufficient time to present her case and that the matter cold not be wound up in a short duration.

"I require time at length to argue my case," Abha submitted before Justice Sabina when the 67-year old former IPS officer's case came up for hearing.

Granting her plea, the judge posted the petition for hearing later in the day when, after brief arguments, the notice was issued for Monday.

The two fresh FIRs, registered on the basis of complaints by Ruchika's father S C Girhotra and brother Ashu, accused Rathore of committing serious offences including attempt to murder, wrongful confinement, giving false evidence and doctoring the post mortem report of the girl, who committed suicide three years after being molested by the former IPS officer on August 12, 1990.

Rathore had filed a third petition seeking quashing of the third FIR against him registered under section 306 IPC (abetment to suicide) stating that the issue had been settled earlier even at the level of the Supreme Court.

The trial court had handed down a lighter punishment of six months' jail term and a fine of Rs 1,000 to Rathore for molesting the budding tennis player.