Bhajan Lal too 'protected' Rathore

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH, DEC. 11. Though media attention has been focused on the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Om Prakash Chautala, for allegedly shielding the controversial former Director-General of State Police, Mr. S.P.S. Rathore, now facing trial in the Ruchika molestation case, old-timers remember that former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader, Mr. Bhajan Lal, is equally guilty of harbouring a soft corner for the police officer.Fourteen-year-old Ruchika, a tennis player, was allegedly molested by Mr. Rathore in August 1990 when he was Inspector-General and the then president of the Haryana Lawn Tennis Association. Ruchika, a resident of Panchkula, had committed suicide three years later in December 1993 when Mr. Bhajan Lal was in power.

The special CBI court has already criticised the role of the Haryana Government in belatedly registering the FIR against Mr. Rathore. Though the incident had taken place in 1990 when Mr. Hukam Singh, the then protege of Mr. Chautala, was the Chief Minister and he had subsequently ordered an enquiry against Mr. Rathore, the then Home Minister, Mr. Sampat Singh, had reportedly tried to shield Mr. Rathore by ``suppressing'' the report. In 1991 Mr. Bhajan Lal became the Chief Minister and he ordered a fresh enquiry by Mr. R. R. Singh but subsequently his regime put the enquiry report which established the guilt of Mr. Rathore in cold storage and did not take any action. Rather, it is common knowledge that Mr. Rathore was given two promotions during Mr. Bhajan Lal's tenure.

It is also being said that the family of the girl which was living in Panchkula was `harassed' by the State Police at the `behest' of senior police officers and six cases of alleged auto theft were registered against her brother between August 1990 and December 1993 when she ultimately committed suicide.Her brother was later acquitted in all the cases. Interestingly, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has now taken suo moto notice of the `excesses' committed by the authorities against the brother as to why he should not be paid compensation and also named Mr. Rathore and other police officers in this connection.

Mr. Bhajan Lal's detractors say that the then Chief Minister must have been aware of what was going on in his son's constituency but he did nothing to put an end to these ``actions'' by the ``friends'' of Mr. Rathore. Interestingly, Mr. Bhajan Lal's son, Mr. Chander Mohan, was elected Legislator from the Kalka constituency in May or June 1993. Interestingly, a functionary of the Haryana Vikas Party. Mr. K. P. Singh, has demanded that action be taken against all politicians who ruled the roost between 1990 and 1996 for not taking decisive action against Mr. Rathore.

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