Chandigarh, May 26 (IANS) Former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore failed to get any immediate relief from the Punjab and Haryana High Court in the bail petition he moved Wednesday, a day after he was convicted of molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra.
Justice Gurdev Singh told Rathore’s counsel that there was no urgency in hearing the plea, moved by his lawyer and wife Abha Rathore, and listed the matter for hearing May 28 (Friday).
The court issued notice to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) following the bail petition moved by Rathore.
Rathore, who was arrested Tuesday and sent to jail after he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, has sought the bail on medical grounds, saying that he had undergone a heart bypass surgery and required medical attention.
While Abha Rathore pleaded with the judge to hear the case since this concerned Rathore’s health, the judge told her that she should move a separate application before the court for this.
The high court is closing for summer vacations May 29 for one month and Rathore might find it difficult to get early relief.
Rathore’s wife also initiated the process Wednesday for a revised petition against Tuesday’s court verdict that enhanced his sentence to 18 months from the six months given by the trial court earlier.
The former Haryana director general of police (DGP) was sent to the Burail jail here Tuesday by the district and sessions court which upheld his conviction in the Ruchika molestation case by a CBI special court here December last year and enhanced the jail term to 18 months.
Rathore was sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs.1,000 by the CBI special court.
However, he was immediately granted bail then.
Rathore filed a plea in January challenging his conviction by the CBI special court for molesting 15-year-old Ruchika Aug 12, 1990. Ruchika committed suicide three years.
–Indo-Asian News service
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