The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Friday, November 24, 2000,
Chandigarh, India

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Silence on Rathore baffling
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Nov 23 —The Haryana Government’s silence over the Ruchika molestation case, in which its Director General of Police, Mr S. P. S. Rathore, has been charge-sheeted by the CBI, has baffled the people, who are outraged over the alleged immoral episode.

According to informed sources, the State Government had done little, so far, even to obtain a copy of the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the court of the Special Magistrate, Ambala, Mr A.K. Tyagi, let alone taking any action against the erring police chief.

The Government’s inaction has led to a fierce debate among the lower ranks of the Haryana police. In fact, the Karnal district unit of the Haryana Police Association has demanded the resignation of Mr Rathore. But the State President of the association, Mr Shyam Singh Narwal, who has come out in the support of the DGP, has expelled the President of the Karnal unit, Mr Raja Ram, from the association for five years.

Mr Raja Ram had demanded that if the Government wanted to retain Mr Rathore as the police chief, it should adopt the same set of standards for the lower staff also. He said at present the government placed under suspension those policemen who were allegedly involved in the registration of false cases or against whom the court cases were pending.

He said if the Government wanted to give a special treatment to Mr Rathore, it should make a system under which no action be taken against the junior policemen till the decision of the court cases against them.

Meanwhile, a Chandigarh based social organisation, Triveni Manch, has come out in the support of Mr Rathore. In a statement issued here today its President, Mrs Sudesh Rani, alleged that the media was publishing distorted reports about the Ruchika case.

PM, MPs to be under Lok Pal Bill purview

new delhi, Nov 23 (uni) — The Group of Ministers (GoM) tonight recommended that the Prime Minister and Members of Parliament be brought under the purview of the proposed, controversial Lok Pal Bill likely to be introduced in the first week of December in Parliament.

Highly placed sources said the Prime Minister has been brought under the proposed Lok Pal Bill as per the wishes of Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee himself.

The recommendations of the GoM will be considered by the Cabinet next week and introduced in Parliament the following week, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Parmod Mahajan told reporters after the meeting at Home Minister L.K. Advani’s office in North Block.

This will be the seventh time that the Bill will be put forth before Parliament for its consideration. The first effort to approve the Bill by Parliament was during the fourth Lok Sabha when Mrs Indira Gandhi.

TNS adds: Attempts at establishing a Lok Pal had begun way back in 1966. Successive governments had made efforts to get the legislation enacted but for one reason or the other including dissolutions of Lok Sabha on three occasions, the Bill failed to get Parliament’s consent. This would be the seventh time the Lok Pal Bill would be introduced in the Lok Sabha.

The Bill is likely to be moved in Parliament within the next two weeks. Indication to this effect was given by Mr Mahajan, who said that if the Cabinet cleared the Bill at its meeting next week, the government would move it in Parliament the week after.