Why it took nine years to register FIR against Rathore: HC

Why was a delay of nine years caused in registering an FIR against former Haryana director general of police S P S Rathore for molesting teenager Ruchika? Who are the persons responsible for the said delay? What action was taken against Sacred Heart School for allegedly expelling Ruchika at the instance of Rathore?

Demanding answers to these questions, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday gave two weeks' time to the respondents, CBI, Haryana and Chandigarh Administration, to respond by October 19. The court also questioned the locus standi of the petitioner, World Human Rights Protection Council through its chairman advocate Ranjan Lakhanpal.

The directions were passed during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation filed by the NGO.

The counsel for the Sacred Heart School contended that Ruchika was not expelled from the school and that her name was struck down from the roll. The counsel also told the High Court that an inquiry held by the Chandigarh Administration, which indicted the school authorities for expelling Ruchika, had been challenged in a lower court.

The counsel for the Central government, advocate Ajay Kaushik, as demanded by the court, produced a copy of the Bill passed by the Central government for protection of minor children from molestation. Kaushik also produced the copy of the inquiry report prepared by the then UT Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Prerna Puri. The PIL will now come up for resumed hearing on October 19.

In JanTuary last, a division bench headed by former Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal had held that the High Court would consider guidelines to be adopted in child molestation cases and also the procedure to be adopted when senior police officers are accused in such cases.

In its PIL, the petitioner had demanded action against the school for expelling Ruchika at the behest of Rathore and requested the court to fix responsibility of the errant police officers and others who caused delay of nine years in registration of an FIR.

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