Ruchika's counsel to fight Himachal suicide victim case

Shimla, April 6 (IANS)  Counsel for Ruchika Girhotra, a schoolgirl who committed suicide after former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore molested her, would now fight for the family of a woman who was allegedly in love
with a senior police officer's son and took her life when her marriage proposal was turned down.

The victim's family is planning to move Himachal Pradesh High Court to seek a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incident.

"We have requested lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj and he has agreed to contest the case for getting justice for Ritu," the victim's father Sampoorna Singh told IANS Monday.

Ritu, 28, hanged herself from a ceiling fan at her residence here March 28. She was reportedly in love with son of Inspector General of Police Pradeep Kumar Sarpal for over years.

"We are filing the case in the high court Wednesday," Singh said.

Meanwhile, Bhardwaj said on phone from Chandigarh: "I am contesting Ritu's case free of cost."

Sarpal, his wife and his son were booked for abetment to suicide and trying to destroy evidence from the crime scene.

The woman's relatives alleged that she took the extreme step after the Sarpals refused to let her marry their son. Sidharth, a sub-judge in Mandi district, and Ritu were known to each other for 15 years.

As per the first information report, Sarpal, his son and some policemen entered Ritu's house after her suicide and tried to tamper with the evidence. At that time, the victim was alone in her residence.

The state government has already ordered a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into the case of suicide.