Thread by @thekaipullai

In 1990, in Panchkula, there was a 14 year old, promising Tennis player named Ruchika Girhotra and an IG, SPS Rathore.

Given that he was a police officer, and NOT a tennis player, he was somehow found to be suitable to be the president of Haryana Lawn Tennis Association.

As SPS Rathore thought himself to be a God, he had illegally encroached Government land, and built a tennis court in his house. What powerful govt servant are you, if you don't bend a few rules?

On 11th Aug 1990, Rathore told Ruchika's father, she needs special training.

The next day, thinking about a bright future, she went to the Tennis court with her friend. Rathore called them both to his office and then sent her friend out.

This is where the tragedy, begins.

Rathore, a 50 year old man, grabbed the 14 year old, and started molesting her.

Ruchika tried to push him off. But he refused to relent. By this time, her friend had returned & she started shouting. In this confusion, Ruchika ran out.

First, being scared, they didn't tell anyone. But Rathore tried calling them again to his office again.

This is when Ruchika told her parents. And they filed a complaint

Things went horribly south after that

Rathore paid some guys to protest in front of Ruchika's house

No FIR was filed, in spite of the investigating officer indicting Rathore

The govt buried the case

Meanwhile, two months later, Ruchika was expelled from her school, because of "non payment" of fees. WHen Ruchika tried to pay, the school refused to accept

False cases were filed against Ruchika's father, brother and mother

Remember her friend , who was also the sole witness

More than 10 cases were filed against her.

Her father was wrongly accused of corruption and removed from his job

And whenever Ruchika went out, she was abused by people who were hired by Rathore

Ruchika's father was falsely accused of theft and sacked

Worst was to follow.

Her Brother Ashu was picked up 5 times from the police and tortured.

Once he was even paraded in front of his house, in handcuffs to pressurized Ruchika, to withdraw the case.

Finally giving up on ideas of justice and freedom, Ruchika took her life in Dec 1993

Rathore, then threatened to kill her brother, in police custody, if Ruchika's parents didn't sign on the fabricated post mortem report. They did.

The Govt closed her file within a week.

What happened to the monster that was SS Rathore?

Nothing. In fact he was promoted.

No chargesheet was filed. He was even recommended for the police medal by Om Prakash Chautala.

Her father, somehow in 1997, moved to the Punjab High court.

The court ordered a CBI enquiry, but Rathore continued to be the police chief.

CBI tried to impose abetment to suicide case on Rathore. The judge dismissed it offhand, citing "There was no Harrasment".

The hearings went on for 12 years. Then in 2009, he was sentenced to six months in Prison.

He got bail, within 2 minutes of the sentence.

Finally in 2016, 26 years after Ruchika's tragic death, SC sentenced Rathore to six months in prison considering "his age"

It took 26 years, 65 Adjournments and more than 500 hearings, to punish a monster.

A monster who molested a kid who trusted him.

A monster who destroyed the life of her family.

A monster who grossly misused the power bestowed upon him, to not only get away with murder, but be rewarded for it.

And he was not even punished. It was more like a slap on the wrist with a feather.

This is the justice system of India. A system which totally favours the ones in power.

A justice system where govt employees think they can do anything, because they can and they do get away.

A justice system which does not hang a SS Rathore, doesn't deserve to exist.

Imagine the power vested in a police officer, who could molest a 14 year old, arrest her brother on trumped up charges, get her father dismissed from his work, file defamation cases against the sole witness, get her father suspended from his job, with zero consequence.

Remember the incident, where Ruchika was thrown out of school for non payment of fees

There was one more child who had also not paid her fees and paid after Ruchika. She was allowed to continue

You know who it was?

It was a girl named Priyanjali Rathore. Daughter of SS Rathore

And remember the judge who dismissed the Abetment of Suicide case against Rathore, citing no evidence.

He had a property dispute with Ruchika's dad.

If Mistrials had a pantheon of Gods, Ruchika's case would be the main deity. And that judge would be the Pope.

That judge, Justice Kathuria, still continues and was the chief of Haryana Consumer Redressal forum.

If our selection mechanism puts such people in positions of unparalleled power, who will misuse it for their benefit, maybe it's time to change the mechanism.

It took us 26 years, to punish a child molester, that too with a sentence of six months. SIX fuckin months

A crime that usually entails life imprisonment, in many countries, along with loss of everything

In India, we rewarded that guy with a police medal for "exemplary" service

It is the power of Punishment alone, when exercised impartially, in proportion to guilt, and irrespective of whether it is the King's son or his enemy, that protects the world : Kautilya in Arthashastra.

No wonder India is screwed.

A lot of people are saying "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied"

For poor Ruchika, justice was not only delayed. But also denied.

And that is the case with many of us, who put our faith in the judiciary, against the excesses of the Govt.

Unless that changes, we have no hope