Ruchika Girhotra molestation case: SC upholds former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore's conviction

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the conviction of former DGP of Haryana SPS Rathore for molesting a minor and budding tennis player Ruchika Girhotra way back in 1990.

The apex court, however, granted relief to Rathore and reduced his sentence from one and half years to the sentence already undergone.

On August 20, 1990, Rathore, the then IGP with Haryana Police and president of the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association (HLTA), had molested Ruchika Girhotra, a budding tennis player, in the HLTA office in Panchkula.

Ruchika was 14-years-old then. On December 28, 1993, Ruchika consumed poison and died the next day.

Over 22 years after Ruchika was molested, Rathore was convicted by a Chandigarh court in December 2009 and sent to jail in June 2010. The conviction was upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Rathore was sent to 18 months rigorous imprisonment but the Supreme Court granted him bail after he had served five months of his sentence.