‘Abnormal circumstances made my son attack Rathore’

LUCKNOW - S.K. Sharma, a Banaras Hindu University (BHU) professor and father of the youth who Monday attacked former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore, said “abnormal circumstances” must have forced his son to stab Rathore, but “he should have not taken law into his hands.”

“For the last four-six months, he (Utsav Sharma) was under treatment for depression…But I don’t know how severe the depression was…Naturally, abnormal circumstances must have forced him to do so,” Sharma told reporters in Varanasi, some 250 km from Lucknow.

“He (Utsav) used to say he could not tolerate injustice and talked on such matters…Yesterday only I spoke to him…Be it my son or anyone, no one is allowed to take law in his hands,” said Professor Sharma associated with the mechanical engineering department of the BHU.

Utsav’s father said he would try his best to see his son doesn’t get harsh punishment for attacking the former DGP.

“I would try my best so that my son gets relief on health grounds…With all his medical reports, I will approach the police and authorities concerned to help my son,” said S.K. Sharma, who is a resident of the Rajendra Vihar Colony in Varanasi.

Earlier in Chandigarh, as Rathore stepped out of the district court complex in Sector 17 and was heading towards his car, Utsav caught him by the neck and in a split second stabbed him thrice. Rathore’s wife and counsel Abha Rathore was with him at the time of attack.

Utsav Sharma, 29, posed as a freelance journalist and mingled with mediapersons who were waiting outside the court for Rathore and to cover the first day of the three-day hearing against his conviction which started Monday.

He was arrested after the incident and is likely to be charged with assault.

“We have spoken to his family in Varanasi and to his doctor with whom he was undergoing treatment for a psychological problem in Ahmedabad. He suffers from mood disorder syndrome,” Chandigarh’s Senior Superintendent of Police S.S. Srivastava told reporters.

“Investigations are in progress. There does not seem to be any motive behind the attack. He seemed angry and got a feeling that justice has not been done to this girl (Ruchika), and he carried out the attack under psychological imbalance,” Srivastava added.