JOIN USMolestation pre-planned: Ex-DGP
Singh, now 75, who as the state DGP had held an inquiry against Rathore, then Inspector General of Police, and had indicted Rathore in his inquiry in 1990, said there was lot of political pressure on him to give Rathore a clean chit.
He said his report was pushed under the carpet owing to political considerations and Rathore got promotions which he should not have got owing to the serious charge of molestation against him. Singh said that he had reached the conclusion that Rathore had pre-planned molestation of Ruchika after recording her statement and that of her friend, Reemu and her parents.
Ruchika later committed suicide in 1993 after persistent harassment by Rathore. Last week, a CBI court held Rathore guilty of molestation, 19 years after the incident, and awarded six months imprisonment. Singh’s claim is corroborated by the victim, Ruchika’s statement recorded before him on August 21, 1990—nine days after the molestation incident.
The 14-year-old deposed before Singh that Rathore had visited her home on August 11, 1990, and advised her father against sending her abroad for tennis coaching. The family was apparently planning to migrate to Canada. The very next day Ruchika was asked to meet Rathore, who was president of Haryana Lawn Tennis Association, in his office.
She reached his office along with her friend, Reemu. Rathore then sent Reemu to call the coach. “As soon as Reemu left the place, Rathore caught hold of my hand, put one of his hands around my waist and pressed me against his body tightly. I tried to get rid of Rathore by pushing him away with one of my hands which Rathore was not holding. I was so shocked and became nervous with the behaviour of Rathore. In the meantime, Reemu came in and seeing her, Rathore released me, and sat down on his chair.”
The victim recorded further, “I ran out of the room and , later, when Reemu came out of the room, she told me that Sir (Rathore) had asked her to tell me to cool down.”
The victim and her friend did not inform their parents about the incident then.
Complainant to move apex court
Amid public outcry over the light sentence given to the former Haryana DGP convicted of molesting a minor girl, complainant’s counsel on Friday said he will soon move the Supreme Court seeking enhancement of punishment and trial of the ex-top cop on the charge of abetting suicide, reports PTI from Chandigarh.