No bias in Ruchika probe, says ex-CBI sleuth

A senior police officer who was heading the CBI probe into the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, sought to dismiss allegations that the agency had botched it up to shield her molester and fellow police officer S.P.S. Rathore.

A senior police officer who was heading the CBI probe into the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, sought to dismiss allegations that the agency had botched it up to shield her molester and fellow police officer S.P.S. Rathore.

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“As far as I remember, the case has been probed sincerely, with no bias and the entire evidence available on records have been examined by a top criminal lawyer of the country,” said Rajesh Ranjan, who was a DIG in the CBI during the probe.

Ranjan is now with the Bihar Police as IG (Headquarters) in Patna.

“One of the noted lawyers of the country, Natarajan from Chennai, had gone through the entire records before the final chargesheet was submitted against Rathore. It is very difficult to recall the whole matter after almost 16 years,” Ranjan said.

Ruchika’s family were reported to have alleged that Ranjan had refused to record her brother Ashu’s statement despite his assertions that she committed suicide after the family was harassed at Rathore’s behest. Ranjan dismissed the allegation as “absolutely wrong”.