Ruchika finds a voice online

Just like in the Jessica Lal and Priyadarshini Mattoo cases, social networking sites have emerged as a frontrunner medium to voice the anger of the disillusioned Indians in the Ruchika case too.

From Jessica to Ruchika, the system sucks." Media professional Biju Mathew’s Gmail status message on Wednesday voiced the angst of Delhiites, shaken by the feeble sentence handed out to former Haryana police chief SPS Rathore in the Ruchika Girhotra case.

Ruchika, then 14-year-old, was molested by the accused and committed suicide three years later due to pressure and constant harassment. On Thursday, people from all age groups also came together for a candlelight vigil at Jantar Mantar to demand the reopening of the case.

Just like in the Jessica Lal and Priyadarshini Mattoo cases, social networking sites have emerged as a frontrunner medium to voice the anger of the disillusioned Indians in this case too.

Says Aditya Raj Kaul, who spearheaded the Priyadarshini case and also supported the candlelight vigil on Thursday, “There were nearly 200 people —from Delhi’s school and college students to senior citizens — everyone was disturbed and disillusioned by the justice that is too little and too late. Why do we have to come out on roads every time we have to make ourselves heard?”

Communities have sprung up on Facebook and Orkut asking for justice to prevail. ‘Justice for Ruchika’, a Facebook community with the number of members increasing every day, asks ‘the case be re-opened and criminals like SPS Rathore be more severely punished’.

Another community on Orkut, Justice for Ruchika Girhotra has 13 members. One post reads, “I have sent emails to the PM, Chief Justice of India, Head of National Commission of Women and president of Congress. I request you all to fill their Inbox/Feedback with complaints.”