Abusaleh Shariff explodes the myth of Muslims doing better under Modi ruleRathore gets ministry notice, Hooda assures Ruchika case 'revisit'
Submitted by admin3 on 26 December 2009 - 8:43pm
By IANS,
New Delhi/Chandigarh: 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 was sentenced by a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court Monday to six months in jail for molesting teenager Ruchika 19 years ago on Aug 12, 1990. A fine of Rs.1,000 was also imposed on Rathore, who, however, was immediately granted bail by the court.
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.
Ministry officials said his conduct was unbecoming of a police officer.
Rathore has been asked why the police medal awarded to him for meritorious service should not be withdrawn.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.
Officials in the ministry said the government was also "actively considering" why the disgraced police officer should get full pension after being convicted.
"We are also examining the pension benefits," said Pillai.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, meanwhile, said his government would "revisit" the case.
"As far as I am concerned we will revisit the case. I have full sympathy for the family," Hooda told reporters in New Delhi.
"I have already asked the DGP (Director General of Police) to provide security to her (Ruchika's) family," said Hooda.
Earlier Saturday, Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) MP Brinda Karat met Hooda and demanded harsher punishment for Rathore.
After meeting Hooda, Karat said: "We want the state government to be proactive in getting the punishment enhanced (for Rathore) and reopen the case."
Karat was accompanied by the parents of Ruchika's friend Aradhana, who was the lone witness in the case.
"We also demanded that under his jurisdiction a committee (be set up) which would go into the political patronage given to Rathore and how he got so many promotions."
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 when Om Prakash Chautala was chief minister and served from October 1999 to December 2000.
During the course of the over 19-year legal battle, Ruchika's family was harassed with false cases being slapped against her brother.
A human chain was formed in Chandigarh's commercial hub, Sector 17, Saturday by an NGO and other activists led by Aradhana. They demanded justice for the molestation victim and harsher punishment for Rathore and those who shielded him for nearly two decades.
Aradhana demanded that Rathore be stripped of all his medals and pension benefits to restore Ruchika's honour. Case lawyer Pankaj Bhardwaj also questioned the credibility of the medical report of Ruchika's death given by the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) in Chandigarh.
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death penalty to Rathore & all those who supported him
We are living in country ,where almost everybody knew this man has made Rucika's family life miserable to the extent that she committed suicide.Police is to for protection of people,if we have this kind of people we don't need police in our country.All people/politicins who supported in his act are not human beings,all of them should be made naked & left in front of public like us & in front of Ashu & his father ,they should be allowed to kill this people in public.We need courage like aradhana,who could fight single handed.why is this man Rathore alive till date,& still govt is thinking on reducing his pension,why should he be given pension at all.aradhana,Rucika's father & ashu should be given legal rights to harras rathore & all his supporters to the extent they die.What woudl have happened if rathore would have molested politician's daugther,would it t ake so long in that case,rathore may not have dared at first instance,why middle class family.Basterd rathore should be given severest punishment whatever is possible,or let public decide.
Time to Act
I may be heckled for what I am saying but still I must say it. Rathore was given the medal in 1985 and the Ruchika incident happened in 1990. These two need not be and should not be linked. If the medal was awarded after the incident then it is a different issue. Will the board exam from where Rathore passed withdraw his result? will the university where he got a degree withdraw his degree? will UPSC withdraw his passing of IPS exam? The real issue is stringent punishment for the crime and all other issues are cosmetic only. It took 19 years for a case of this kind to take a decision. Let just 19 hours or 19 days be decided to redo the case and award deserving punishment to Rathore. Let there be special courts in each state and each district to speedily dispose such child offenders. The Government should rather do something about it.
Time to Act indeed-Mr. Natarajan
Mr. Natarajan: Medals/awards are given for accomplishments whereas educational degrees are based on a test or series of tests. He earned his police medal with a promise of integrity and not a compromise with his integrity. If possible, he should be stripped of everything that he earned for his crime and then multiple crimes to suppress that. He comes laughing out of the court because of sympathizers/generous people like you, broadminded people. The mis(judge) who pronounced the punishment also gave him benefit of his old age and blah blah....What would be your reaction, should this happen (God Forbid)with your family?
Islamic criminal law
Justice in 19 hours???No way man. Instead of begging for special courts you should ask govt. to arm judges with Islamic criminal laws to deal with these criminals.
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