Witness questions CBI probe in Ruchika Girhotra molestation case

Chandigarh : Raising questions at impartiality of the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) probe into the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, a key witness on Tuesday claimed that the investigating agency has ignored his statement.

Ruchika?s former neighbour Vijay Dheer, who had deposed before the CBI, has said that his statement given before the CBI in February this year was twisted.

Dheer was a resident of the house opposite of the Ruchika Girhotra?s in Sector 6, Panchkula, and had said before the CBI had Ruchika?s brother Anshu was handcuffed and paraded semi-naked in the locality on December 25, 1993, and beaten up by Haryana policemen.

But the CBI in its closure report, which gives a clean chit to Haryana police on allegation of harassing Ruchika?s family, has claimed that there were no witnesses to the alleged police excesses on Anshu at the behest of SPS Rathore, who has been convicted in the molestation case.

?The shop keepers of Sector 6 market, Panchkula have stated that they neither heard nor saw Ashu being paraded by the police in half naked condition with hand cuffs in December 1993. The neighbours of SC Girhotra in his lane at Sector 6, Panchkula also denied having seen parading of Ashu on December 25, 1993,? the closure report stated.

Rathore was convicted and jailed in the molestation case of budding tennis player Ruchika Girhotra in 1990.

Ruchika had committed suicide in 1993 as Rathore terrorized her family following the molestation incident.

Rathore, who was cleared of charges of abetment to suicide, was released on bail on November 12 last.

The 68-year-old accused has spent six months of his 18-month sentence in jail.