E-Paper
Chautala denies charges of shielding Rathore
Haryana's former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala today denied charges that former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore, accused in the Ruchika molestation case, was shielded and promoted by his government.
Haryana's former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala on Friday denied charges that former Haryana director general of police SPS Rathore, accused in the Ruchika molestation case, was shielded and promoted by his government.
"SPS Rathore was chargesheeted during my government. Back then, when the complaint came, an FIR was immeditately lodged. Yet my government was not satisfied with the action. Therefore, we ordered a departmental enquiry into the case," Chautala said at a press conference in Chandigarh on Friday.
SC Girhotra, father of 14-year-old schoolgirl Ruchika, who committed suicide after being molested by former Haryana director general of police SPS. Rathore, had on Thursday accused former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala of shielding the police officer.
In a press conference, Chautala defended himself and said that Rathore was suspended after RR Singh's enquiry and never suggested his name for promotion.
"It was during the Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal governments that Rathore was promoted, not ours," he added.
"Chautala was the main person behind him. Rathore used to carry out all his (Chautala's) wrong deeds. Chautala was at his back all the while. Even after RR Singh (the then Haryana DGP in 1990) gave his report recommending registration of a case against Rathore, the government took no action," Girhotra said.
Earlier, Chautala's son Ajay Singh Chautala had told HT, “At no stage during the investigation did the girl’s father or the couple (Madhu and Anand Parkash) fighting on behalf of the family, level any such allegation against my father or his government.”
On Thursday, speaking for the first time after Rathore was sentenced to six months in jail, Girhotra said the punishment was too little too late.
“He molested my small child and then created circumstances that drove Ruchika to suicide,” he told TV channels.
Girhotra blamed the Chautala government for inaction. “Even the CMs after Chautala and the bureaucrats did not come to our help all these years,” he said.
A report filed 20 days after the molestation recommended Rathore be booked. But the authorities did nothing. “Woh log file dabate rahe (they sat on the file),” Girhotra said.
Fourteen-year-old Ruchika was molested August 12, 1990 and committed suicide three years later. Chautala was the chief minister of Haryana between March and June 1991.
(With IANS input)
