Rathore faces suicide abetment charge

Panchkula (Haryana), Jan 5: There was fresh trouble on Tuesday for disgraced former Haryana police chief S P S Rathore with police in Panchkula slapping another First Information Report (FIR) on him for abetting the suicide of Ruchika Girhotra who he molested in 1990.

Rathore, who was on Tuesday booked under Section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), could be arrested anytime now, Haryana police sources said. The Haryana police on Tuesday also recommended that the three fresh cases registered against Rathore be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation. “We have registered the third FIR against him (Rathore). We have recommended that all cases be handed over to the CBI for investigation,” Panchkula Superintendent of Police Maneesh Chaudhary, who is also part of the state special investigation team (SIT) probing the case, told.

The FIR was filed after Ruchika's brother Ashu made a fresh complaint last week seeking Rathore’s booking for abetment of his sister’s suicide. Ruchika, a budding tennis player who was molested by Rathore here on August 12, 1990 when she was 15, committed suicide on December 28, 1993, by consuming insecticide.

The former Haryana director general of police (DGP) has been accused of torturing Ruchika’s brother by getting false cases of car theft slapped on him, inflicting third-degree torture on him in police custody and harassing the Girhotra family between 1990 and 1993. All this reportedly led to Ruchika finally committing suicide in December 1993. Certain other police officers, who allegedly tortured Ashu at Rathore’s behest, have also been named in the fresh FIR against Rathore.

Rathore and other police officials were last week booked by the Panchkula police in two different cases, charging him of attempt to murder, forging and tampering with evidence of Ruchika’s death, criminal conspiracy and wrongful confinement. Most of the charges slapped against him in both FIRs are non-bailable ones. The complaints for the two FIRs were made by Ruchika’s father S C Girhotra and brother Ashu. On Friday, Rathore managed to secure interim relief on his anticipatory bail application from the district and sessions court here till January 7, when his bail plea in these two cases comes up for hearing again. Rathore was convicted by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court in Chandigarh on December 21 for Ruchika’s molestation and sentenced to six months rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000.

The fresh FIR against Rathore has given new hope to Ruchika’s friend Aradhana’s family that has fought a relentless legal battle for justice. “I am very happy that Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has kept his promise and an FIR under section 306 has been registered against Rathore. Now, Rathore’s influence is diminishing very fast and we are sure of appropriate justice ahead,” Aradhana, the lone eyewitness of the molestation incident, told on Tuesday.

“Now nobody can save Rathore from a rigorous punishment, we all want to see him behind bars at the earliest. He and his wife have fabricated false evidence and documents and we are ready to counter all of them in court,” added Aradhana’s father Anand Prakash. “After this fresh FIR, we are confident of winning this legal battle. Now we have support from all sections of the society and we are ready to go up to any extent to ensure justice for Ruchika’s family,” stated Prakash. (IANS)

Terrorist bid to kill Danish cartoonist foiled

COPENHAGEN, Jan 2 (AP) – A Somali man wielding an axe and a knife was shot by police as he attempted to kill an artist who drew a cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad that sparked outrage in the Muslim world. Jakob Scharf, head of the PET intelligence agency, said the 28-year-old man with ties to the al-Qaida group al-Shabab broke a window and entered Kurt Westergaard’s home in Aarhus last night armed with an axe and a knife.

The man was charged at a court hearing in Aarhus, Denmark’s second largest city. He was wheeled into courtroom on a stretcher from the hospital where he was being treated for his wounds accompanied by a lawyer, authorities said.

AI to save Rs 900 cr through fuel efficiency programme

MUMBAI, Jan 2 (PTI): National air-carrier Air India today said it targets to save around Rs 800-900 crore annually after the implementation of the fuel efficiency programme that started in 2008. The airline is currently implementing various initiatives to enhance its fuel efficiency in association with global airlines body International Air Transport Association.

“We have saved Rs 146 crore on account of fuel savings programme, so far. By the time we get software (to facilitate better fuel management), we expect around Rs 800-900 crore in savings,” Air India Chairman and Managing Director Arvind Jadhav told reporters here.

The fuel efficiency programme envisages vital changes in AI’s operational techniques, equipment settings, use of fuel management, flight planning, engine maintenance and cabin weight management.

Jadhav said the airline is currently implementing certain fuel efficiency initiatives, which did not require much technology. Once the required software is in place, it will lead to better fuel efficiency management.

“There are several components of the fuel efficiency programme—those which we can do immediately and those which can be achieved by the procurement of the software,” Jadhav said. The national air-carrier was also looking at achieving savings from other segments such as hotel and transportation, he said.

Rathore gets interim relief, asked not to leave country

Chandigarh, Jan 1: A Haryana court on Friday gave interim relief to disgraced former police chief S P S Rathore and allowed him bail till January 7 if he is arrested for the two fresh cases registered against him in connection with the 1990 Ruchika molestation case.

The district and sessions court in Panchkula near here said Rathore would be allowed to avail interim bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs 100,000 in each of the two cases if he is arrested by the Haryana police before January 7. The Haryana government has been asked to submit its reply to the court by January 6 for the next hearing of Rathore’s anticipatory bail plea to be held on January 7.