M A I N   N E W S

CBI wants Haryana DGP shifted
By Yoginder Gupta
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, April 17 — Pressure is mounting on the Haryana Government to change its Director-General of Police, Mr S.P.S. Rathore, against whom the CBI has registered a criminal case.

According to informed sources, the CBI has written to the Haryana Government to shift Mr Rathore as his continuation as the DGP will hinder the investigations in the criminal case registered by the CBI on December 29, 1999, in pursuance to the Punjab and Haryana High Court orders.

The case relates to an alleged incident of molestation of a girl by Mr Rathore in Panchkula on August 12, 1990. The girl later allegedly committed suicide.

The sources say the CBI DIG in charge of the investigation team, Mr Tiwari, wrote a few days ago to the Haryana Chief Secretary that it would be preferable if Mr Rathore is shifted from his post so that the investigations were not hindered.

The background of the CBI letter is that there are certain police officials, who are subordinate to Mr Rathore, who are witnesses in the case and the CBI has to record their statements. The police officials, it is learnt, are reluctant to record their statements faithfully.

The reluctance of the police officials is believed to have prompted the CBI to write to the Haryana Government, seeking the transfer of Mr Rathore.

After the registration of the case against Mr Rathore, the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, had said that for the time being there was no need to shift Mr Rathore.

The sources say an important witness in the case, Dr Naresh Mittal, has also written to the CBI alleging that Mr Rathore was trying to implicate him in a false case.

After the alleged molestation case, an inquiry was ordered by the state government. The then DGP, Mr R.R. Singh, who conducted the inquiry, indicted Mr Rathore but no action was taken on the report by the government.

In 1997, Mrs Madhu Prakash, whose daughter was a close friend of Ruchika, the girl who was allegedly molested by Mr Rathore, moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which, on August 21, 1997, directed that an FIR should be registered and the investigations conducted by a CBI officer not below the rank of DIG.

Mr Rathore went to the Supreme Court against the High Court orders. However, the apex court dismissed Mr Rathore’s appeal on December 14, 1999.