Former director general of police S P S Rathore was attacked on Monday by a youth with a knife and was repeatedly punched in the face outside the district court in Chandigarh hearing his appeal in the Ruchika molestation case.
Sixty-eight-year-old Rathore was stabbed by the youth identified as Utsav Sharma, a resident of Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, in the left cheek. A bleeding Rathore covered the wound with a handkerchief before getting into his car.
While the youth, who was pursuing a course in film production in Ahmedabad, used his left hand to stab the former Indian Police Service officer, he delivered punches with his right hand on Rathore's right cheek.
He also attempted to attack the former DGP on the arm, but the police personnel present there overpowered him and nailed him down as he tried to run in the midst of a commotion outside the court.
The youth was standing among mediapersons and said to be pretending to take pictures of Rathore. The reporters were waiting to talk to him and others after the court proceedings, which were held in-camera.
Rathore was taken to Sector 16 Government General Hospital, police sources said.
The youth has been taken to the nearby Sector 17 Police Station.
Rathore was completely taken by surprise by the sudden attack. His lawyer-wife Abha was following him.
The police said they were trying to ascertain the motive behind the attack.
Reacting to the attack on Rathore, Aradhana, the sole eye-witness to molestation case, asked people to desist from taking law into their hands.
"For 19-and-a-half years, we have always been doing things within the legal framework. So, I would request the people, if they are getting outraged, please stay within the bounds of the law. We should wait for the judiciary to take its action and no body should take law in his hands.
"It is really not appreciable. It seems like an act of public outrage because they are aware of this case and obviously, still Rathore is not being punished. So, yes it is just because of that, may be," she said.
Condemning the incident, Meet Malhotra, the lawyer for Ruchika's family said in Delhi, "It is really unfortunate that this has happened. Rathore, as any other citizen of the country, has a right to be treated equally before the law and no one has the right to take law and order in his hands with the idea of punishing Rathore. I condemn the incident."
Asked if the assault reflected public outrage, he said, "I have been contacted by many who have expressed utmost disgust over the way the whole case has been handled and how he has got away. So, if someone has got angry and done that, there may be a plausible issue but I don't endorse it -- either the anger or the manner of expression."
Earlier, Additional District and Sessions Judge Raj Shekhar Attri ordered in-camera proceedings on the petition of Rathore challenging his six months' imprisonment in the case.
The judge asked media persons present in the court to move out to allow him to commence the in-camera proceedings.
Attri had last month fixed a three-day hearing on the appeal starting on Monday.
The post-lunch hearing was delayed as the judge had to wait for Rathore to return after first aid.
Immediately after the court assembled after the lunch break, Pankaj Bhardwaj, the counsel for Madhu Parkash, the complainant in the case, apprised the judge about the attack on Rathore.
Since none of the counsels of Rathore, including his wife Abha was present in the court, the judge said he would wait for some time before the proceeding further.
The hearing resumed after Rathore returned with a bandage on his face.
