Ruchika case: Verdict on Rathore's plea on May 20

A sessions court in Chandigarh will pronounce verdict on former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore's plea challenging the six-month sentence awarded to him by a Central Bureau of Investigation court for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra on May 20.

The CBI and relatives of budding tennis player Ruchika, who later committed suicide, had also filed petitions before the court seeking enhancement of the sentence for Rathore.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Gurbir Singh fixed May 20 for delivering the judgement on all the three pleas after conclusion of arguments and counter-agruments in the case, Ruchika's family counsel Pankaj Bhardwaj said on Tuesday.

The court heard the agruments, which began on May 3, on a day-to-day basis, he told reporters in Chandigarh. The proceedings were held in-camera.

The disgraced former top cop had sought setting aside of the trial court verdict against him while the Ruchika family and the CBI had sought maximum punishment of two years for 68-year-old Rathore.

The former DGP was sentenced to six-month imprisonment on December 21 last by CBI Judge J S Sidhu for molesting 14-year-old Ruchika at Panchkula in Haryana on August 12, 1990.

Three years after she was molested, Ruchika committed suicide.

Ruchika's father S C Girhotra and Madhu Prakash, the mother of Aradhna, who was the sole witness to the molestation incident, were present in the court.

Arguing before the court, the Ruchika's family counsel sought enhancement of sentence for Rathore.

"A total of 16 prosecution and 17 defence witnesses appeared before the court," Bhardwaj said. Rathore's counsel Abha, who is also the wife of the former DGP, concluded her rebuttal arguments yesterday.

On Saturday, the CBI had argued on the presentation of evidence before the court. Meanwhile, 29-year-old Utsav Sharma, who had inflicted knife injuries on Rathore while he was coming out of a court on February eight and was granted bail, appeared in a court here today.

The court extended his bail till August 16 when he is to appear in the case before it.