CHANDIGARH: Disgraced former
Haryana DGP Rathore may not be finding many friends after his conviction, but
the police officer enjoyed the patronage of four successive CMs.
In 1990, when the molestation incident took place in Panchkula, CM Hukam Singh (Lok
Dal) ignored the episode and also an inquiry report by then DGP R R Singh, which
found Rathore prima facie guilty of molesting the minor girl. Hukam Singh did
not allow a case to be registered.
Between March and June, 1991, Om Prakash Chautala (Lok Dal) became CM but he too
did not take any action. Rathore, who was an IG at the time of the molestation
incident, even got his promotion as additional DGP in 1994 when Bhajan Lal of
the Congress was CM. The promotion came just a few months after Ruchika
committed suicide in 1993.
During Bhajan Lal's tenure from June 1991 to May 1996, Rathore was elevated to
DGP.
It was during Bansi Lal's regime in 1998 that the Punjab and Haryana HC ordered
a CBI probe against Rathore.
In Oct 1999, Chautala returned and made Rathore DGP of the state. He continued
to be on this top post till December 2000 despite the CBI chargesheeting him in
January 2000.