Rathore questions Centre's decision to withhold his pension
Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, a convict in the infamous Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, has contested in Punjab and Haryana high court the central government decision to withhold his pension, pointing out that former Punjab DGP KPS Gill punished for a similar offence of molestation was getting pension.
Former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, a convict in the infamous Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, has contested in Punjab and Haryana high court the central government decision to withhold his pension, pointing out that former Punjab DGP KPS Gill punished for a similar offence of molestation was getting pension.
Filing his reply to a petition moved by the Centre to challenge the December 8, 2011, order of Chandigarh bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Rathore said that he had been discriminated against by the Union government. CAT orders had invalidated the central government orders to withhold Rathore's pension.
The matter came up for hearing before a division bench headed by justice SK Mittal on Tuesday which adjourned the case to August 8 on the request of central government counsel.
Rathore submitted that Gill's pension had not been stopped despite the fact that Gill's conviction had attained finality on July 27, 2005, through the apex court. Gill was found guilty of molesting IAS officer Rupan Deol Bajaj in 1998.
After Rathore's conviction in the case of molestation of Ruchika Girhotra, the Union ministry of home affairs had on June 23, 2010, passed orders of withholding Rathore's full pension on Union Public Service Commission advice.
When Rathore approached the CAT, the court headed by justice SD Anand had said, "The competent authority could not have validly directed the withholding of pension on permanent basis."
Following this the Centre had moved the high court to challenge CAT orders. It had apprised the court that Rathore had approached the apex court to challenge his conviction by the trial court which was later upheld by the Punjab and Haryana high court but it was not supposed to await the final decision from the Supreme Court to withhold his pension.
The central government had submitted that in case the apex court passed orders in favour of Rathore, the government would definitely restore his pension.