Who promoted molester Rathore to top post: Court

Convicted of molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra,the former Haryana top cop is now out on bail

Former Haryana director general of police S P S Rathore,convicted and jailed for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra 20 years ago,is not likely to relish his freedom on bail as the Punjab and Haryana High Court raked up the case again on Wednesday.

The High Court asked the state of Haryana why Rathore was promoted to the top post while a criminal complaint of molestation was pending against him.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal and Justice Ranjan Gogoi made this caustic observation while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the World Human Rights Protection Council against Haryana,the CBI,the Union government and Ruchika’s School Sacred Heart in Sector 26,Chandigarh.

The PIL wanted to know why Ruchika Girhotra had been expelled from school and why the inordinate delay in bringing the culprit to justice.

The court also rapped the investigating agency,CBI,and asked it to file the investigation report in all three cases pending against the former disgraced DGP.

Rathore was recently granted bail by the Supreme Court after he served six months of his 18-month sentence at the Burail jail. The CBI had a few days ago filed closure reports in two of the three cases related to Ruchika’s molestation.

The court asked the CBI to explain the basis on which these two cases were cancelled.

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On Wednesday,the High Court also asked the CBI to place on record the relevant data which can ascertain who was responsible for promoting Rathore Haryana or the central government.

The Haryana government had filed the chargesheet against Rathore in June 1991 knowing fully well the chargesheet would be useless as Rathore was then on deputation with the central government. This dispute over jurisdiction had kept Rathore off the hook for long.

In another significant development,the High Court issued notices to the Sacred Heart School.

Ruchika,who had been expelled by the school allegedly under pressure from Rathore,committed suicide three years after her humiliation in 1990,which was followed by months and years of intimidation,the family has alleged. The school had expelled her for not paying fees. The court has now wanted to know if any action was taken against the school.

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The state administration has also been asked to produce the copy of the inquiry report prepared by one of its officers in the case.

The court expressed anguish and disgust that Rathore should be allowed to continue in the state police and even retire as its chief.

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