Ministry notices to Rathore; Hooda to reopen Ruchika case

NEW DELHI - The home ministry Saturday slapped show cause notices on former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore, convicted in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, asking why he should not be stripped of his police medal and his pension be reduced for abusing power.

The ministry is taking steps to withdraw the medal of the former director general of police that he received in 1985. The matter will be referred to the appropriate committee and then referred to the president, Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said.

Rathore has been sentenced by a court to six months in jail for molesting teenager Ruchika 19 years ago.

Ministry officials said his conduct was unbecoming of a police officer.

Ruchika, a 14-year-old budding tennis player, had committed suicide in December 1993, three years after the incident, following alleged harassment of her and her family at Rathore’s behest.

With the six-month jail term awarded to him being termed too low and creating an uproar, Rathore has been asked why the police medal awarded to him for meritorious service should not be withdrawn.

The medal is normally awarded to police officers with a flawless service record.

We are also examining the pension benefits, said Pillai.

Rathore was an Inspector General in the Haryana police when the molestation incident took place and continued to be promoted by successive governments in the state despite the charges against him.

He became the police chief during the rule of chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and served from October 1999 to December 2000.

Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said his government would “revisit” the Ruchika Girhotra case.

“As far as I am concerned we will revisit the case. I have full sympathy for the family,” Hooda told reporters here.

The chief minister said that the police has been directed to provide security to Ruchika’s family.

“I have already asked the DGP (Director General of Police) to provide security to her (Ruchika’s) family,” said Hooda.