Ruchika family lawyer to meet the Home Minister tomorrow

"I will be meeting the officials of the Home Ministry and Home Minister P Chidambaram in Delhi tomorrow. I got a call from a senior official of the Ministry who told me that they wanted to meet me for consultations in the case," Pankaj Bhardwaj told PTI here this evening.

He said he had been asked to come to Delhi on Tuesday but he expressed his inability to go as Ruchika's 16th death anniversary fell the same day.

The counsel alleged there have been fabrications in the case at several stages and "truth has been concealed at the behest of convicted former Haryana DGP S P S Rathore."

"False cases were slapped against Ruchika's brother Ashoo and the family was harassed and victimised at Rathore's behest. I will be placing the facts before the Home Minister and other officials. We want that Rathore should not get away with a mild punishment," he said.

14-year-old Ruchika, who was molested by Rathore in 1990, consumed poison on December 28, 1993, and died the following day. Her family said she was forced to take the extreme step after being harassed by the police officer.