What I did was wrong,but I am happy to see him in jail,says man who stabbed Rathore

On February 8,Utsav had attacked Rathore outside the district court complex. He was arrested,but the police did not find any motive behind the ‘act of rage’. After investigation police said he suffered from mental disorder.

“I came to Chandigarh to watch the case closely. I was very disturbed and thought enough was enough. I took out my knife stabbed Rathore. Now I realise I shouldn’t have done that. It was wrong,” he said.

Utsav is a student of National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad and is about to complete his studies. The gold medallist from Banaras Hindu University says he has big dreams to fulfil. “I try to forget what had happened. I am concentrating on my future,” he said.

The police are yet to file a chargesheet in the case and the next hearing is in July.

A 20-year-old fight
Aug 12,1990:Budding 14-year-old tennis player Ruchika Girhotra is molested by IGP,Haryana,Shambu Pratap Singh Rathore in the office of Haryana Lawn Tennis Association. Rathore was the president of the HLTA at the time

Aug 14,1990:Ruchika and her friend Aradhana,who was an eyewitness,narrate the incident to Ruchika’s father S C Girhotra and Madhu and Anand Prakash

Aug 16,1990:The family complains to the then Haryana Chief Minister Hukam Singh

Aug 17,1990:Hukam Singh asks Director General of Police (DGP) R R Singh to investigate the matter

Aug 18,1990:Police register daily diary report (DDR) against Rathore

Sep 3,1990:DGP R R Singh’s report indicts Rathore,finds him prima facie guilty. He submits report and recommends FIR. Later,new DGP R K Hooda and Home Secretary J K Duggal recommend departmental action and chargesheet against Rathore

Sep 20,1990:Ruchika expelled from Sacred Heart Convent School,Sector 26,on disciplinary grounds

March 12,1991:Home Minister Sampat Singh gives consents to departmental action; forwards it to Chief Minister Hukam Singh

March 13,1991:CM gives his consent to the proposal

April 6,1992:FIR lodged against Ashu Girhotra,Ruchika’s brother,in a car theft case

June 30,1992:Matter for registering FIR against Rathore taken up and Haryana legal remembrancer R K Nehru recommends immediate registration of FIR against Rathore

August 12,1992:Case referred to Chief Secretary of Haryana for advice

March 30 to Sept 4,1993:Five FIRs registered against Ashu in car theft case

Oct 23,1993:Ashu is held by Haryana Police and kept in detention for nearly two months

Dec 28,1993:Ruchika commits suicide by consuming poison

Dec 29,1993:Ashu is released

April 1994:Nov 4,1994:Rathore is promoted as Additional DGP

Nov 1997:Anand Parkash moves High Court after getting the copies of R R Singh inquiry report

Aug 21,1998:CBI probe is ordered in Ruchika molestation case by the Punjab and Haryana High Court

Sep 30,1999:Departmental inquiry exonerates Rathore; he is promoted as DGP on May 20,1999

Oct,1999:Rathore made Haryana DGP during the Chautala government

Nov 16,2000:CBI files chargesheet against Rathore

Dec 5,2000:Rathore removed as Haryana DGP; sent on leave

March,2002:Rathore retires as DGP

Nov 5,2009:Case transferred from Ambala court to Chandigarh court

Dec 11,2009:Court closes arguments and sets date for verdict

Dec 15,2009:Case adjourned to Dec 21

Dec 21,2009:A CBI special court in Chandigarh convicts Rathore; sentenced to six months imprisonment and fine of Rs 1,000

After the verdict
Dec 26,2009:Home Ministry issues showcause notice to Rathore asking him to explain why his police medal should not be stripped. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda assures to revisit the case

Jan 5,2010:Fresh FIR registered against Rathore charging him with abetment to suicide

Jan 11,2010:Rathore files appeal challenging his conviction in the sessions court in Chandigarh. The appeal marked to Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri

Jan 25,2010:Rathore granted interim bail by Punjab and Haryana High Court in fresh FIRs

Feb 4,2010:CBI files appeal seeking enhanced sentence of maximum two years under Section 354 of the IPC (assault or criminal force to a women with intent to outrage her modesty)

Feb 8,2010:Rathore attacked outside the district courts in Chandigarh by 30-year-old Utsav Sharma,a student of National Institute of Design,Ahmedabad,and resident of Varanasi. The hearing was adjourned for over a month as Rathore and defence lawyer N D Sharma were injured

March 15,2010:Centre orders Rathore be stripped of meritorious police service medal (President’s medal) he was awarded in 1985 on the recommendation of the then CM of Haryana Om Prakash Chautala

April 15 and 16,2010:The first two hearings were held on Rathore’s appeal challenging his conviction for molesting Ruchika and CBI plea seeking enhanced punishment for him. The defence argued on both days while questioning the conviction

May 3 to May 11,2010:Consecutive hearings take place for eight days before the court fixes May 20 as judgement day

May 25,2010:The court of ADSJ Gurbir Singh enhances punishment from six month jail term to 18 months imprisonment. For the first time in 20 years,Rathore is arrested and sent to Model Jail in Burail