New Delhi: Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily says the government supports the PIL seeking death sentence for retired police officer S P S Rathore, who has been convicted of molesting a 14-year-old girl but got just six month-imprisonment as punishment.

“If necessary we will support it (PIL). It is simple as that but it should be properly done,” Moily said in an interview to a private news channel.

Rathore, a former Haryana director general of police was convicted of molesting Ruchika Girhotra 19 years ago and is now facing fresh charges of abetment to her suicide.

Moily told the channel that Rathore should have been booked for abetment to suicide for allegedly driving Ruchika to suicide.

He said the case against Rathore was strong and “fresh investigations can be conducted against Rathore. “All those people who conspired or abetted in this offence will be lined up as accused--that is possible and that is how this case has to be shown as a model case for the entire world.”

A court in Panchkula on Wednesday deferred till January 1 a decision on Rathore’s application for interim bail. The former DGP was on Tuesday evening booked by police in two cases of serious and non-bailable criminal charges including attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, forging evidence, wrongful confinement, fabricating false evidence and criminal conspiracy.

Ritika’s father, Subhash Chander Girhotra, has demanded death penalty for Rathore. "He has killed my daughter by misusing his official position. We want the death penalty for him," he said after meeting the Union Home Minister.

Meanwhile, Rathore said yesterday that the media had no right to question him and he had no comments to make on fresh FIRs being filed against him.

“The day you can satisfy me that you are the constitutional power to decide on these judicial matters I will speak,” Rathore, 67, told reporters after a court in Panchkula deferred a decision on his interim bail plea.

The former police officer’s wife and his lawyer, Abha Rathore, told reporters that they were not “running away” from the media. “Don't get excited. Click as many pictures as you want,” she said.

Abha, in a 40-page petition before District and Sessions Judge S P Singh, alleged that her husband was facing a "nothing but a trial by the media" and sought protection of the court.

"We came to know of the FIRs and the fresh charges through the media. We want protection of this court in view of the media trial and distortion of facts," she said.

"Press people were responsible people but in this case they have created a hype. Media wants to harass and humiliate my family. Editors are trying to portray themselves as moralistic."

"If four people shout about something which is wrong, it will not become a right. "If four people describe a donkey as a horse, it will not become a horse," she said during the proceedings,” she said.

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