World I Hate to See

I haven't written on this blog for a while now. And now, I can't but write. This is one such news which would better be in a blog named, 'World I Hate to See'. I am talking about Ruchika Girhotra molestation and suicide case.

Child molestation is such a heinous crime that it should warrant death penalty and that too a police officer was responsible for this cruel and inhuman act. Moreover, the culprit SPS Rathore had Ruchika's brother arrested and tortured more than once causing Ruchika to commit suicide in desperation. Only after Ruchika was dead and cremated that the police release Ruchika's unconscious brother Ashu (unconscious due to police torture - they stripped him of clothes and thrashed him in their drunken stupor). Ashu was 13 years old at that time.

Now what led to Ruchika committing suicide? Major culprit is Rathore of course, hang him for good; or put him in a cell and throw the key away. But there are other people responsible here as well. Ruchika's school expelled her due to non payment of fee's - they refused to accept fee's because of Rathore's influence. I don't care if they were afraid of Rathore or were greedy or what not. The school authorities are also to be blamed for Ruchika's suicide.

Look at these sequence of events. Ruchika had lost her mother at a young age. She was molested by a respectable and powerful (responsible?) member of the society when she was 14 years old. And her school expels her for wrong reasons. Then police arrest Ashu, torture him, get him home and thrash him in front of Ruchika and her dad, threaten them of similar fate. They book false cases against Ashu and Ruchika's dad. They again drag Ashu to station and keep him there. They ask Ruchika to withdraw the case or let her brother face continued torture.

All the above acts would have shown Ruchika that her father can't protect her or himself, she has no mother to help her deal with the trauma of molestation, her school where she has been taught what is good and what is bad, acts in a shamefully unjust and cruel manner, she is forcibly and harshly made to realize that her family is suffering because of her. Ruchika commits suicide.

Rathore's defence counsel tried to use her expulsion from school for showing that Ruchika's character was tainted. What the hell? A child of 14 years age and her character is tainted? Tainted was she because she wasn't born into wealth or power, because she was a girl, because she thought foolishly that this society which teaches moral values in school, on loud speakers, in places of worship, on election posters would have made sure that there are no demons lurking around in human forms. Sorry Ruchika for what you and your family went through.

What a demonic society we have created. Not only does Rathore not get punished for what he did to Ruchika but was continuously promoted and was well rewarded by successive governments. After long struggle for justice, the final humiliation, he was given 6 months jail term and a fine of Rs 1000 and he laughed his way out of the court house.

Ref - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruchika_Girhotra_Case