We Didn’t Shield Rathore, Other Govts Promoted Him: Chautala

Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala has refuted the charge of shielding former DGP SPS Rathore in Ruchika molestation case and said that he had taken action against the officer but other governments promoted him.

“We took strong action against him. 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 charge sheet in the case. He (Rathore) was promoted to the post of ADGP and DGP during the governments of Bhajan Lal and Bansi Lal. They should be blamed for the promotion,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Yesterday, Ruchika’s father SC Girhotra had blamed Chautala for guarding Rathore in the case.

Rathore, who molested 14-year-old budding tennis player in 1990, has been served a six-month term after 19 years of the incident.

Chautala also claimed that he, as a chief minister, did not recommend Rathore for President’s medal and that his name was forwarded for the award as part of a routine bureaucratic process.

“I did not recommend him for the medal. That was done as part of a routine work by officers. The issue (recommendation) did not come to my notice,” he said.

On the contrary, he claimed that his government acted strongly against Rathore and initiated a departmental enquiry against him.

In 1990, Ruchika was molested by Rathore, who was then IG of police. She committed suicide in 1993 by consuming poison.

SC Girhotra has demanded that the former DGP should be punished for abetment to suicide instead of being let off with a lighter six month sentence.