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Chautala deflects blame
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on Friday claimed his government had suspended disgraced former director general of police S.P.S. Rathore, convicted in the Ruchika molestation case.
Former Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on Friday claimed his government had suspended disgraced former director general of police S.P.S. Rathore, convicted in the Ruchika molestation case.
The Indian National Lok Dal leader accused his political foes, two former chief ministers — Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal— of protecting Rathore, instead.
Rathore molested 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra on August 12, 1990. Traumatised by Rathore’s harassment of her family, the teenager committed suicide three years later.
On Thursday, her father had accused Chautala of shielding Rathore.
“During my government (in 1990), we instituted a departmental inquiry against him. In my tenure later, we suspended him from the post of DGP as he was facing a charge sheet in the case,” Chautala said on Friday.
Facts suggest otherwise.
After the molestation came to light, Chautala has served as Haryana CM twice.
In the second tenure, when the CBI filed the charge sheet in November 2000, Rathore, who was DGP at that time, was not placed under suspension.
He was merely advised to go on long leave, that too after an outcry over his continuance even after the chargesheet.
Rathore remained on leave till he retired in 2002.
