Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Monday recommended withdrawal of former DGP S. P. S. Rathore’s Police medal for his alleged involvement in the molestation case of a 14-year-old teenaged girl.
Mr. Hooda’s recommendation to the Home Ministry came hours before the meeting of its award committee to discuss the issue.
In a letter to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, Mr. Hooda has said Rathore has brought “disrepute and bad name” to the State and the police forces.
The letter also mentions “moral turpitude” on the part of Rathore in the case.
A meeting of the award committee, headed by Union Home Secretary G. K. Pillai, will take a decision on the withdrawal of the 1985 Police medal to Rathore for meritorious service.
Sources said the committee is also likely to take a decision on automatic withdrawal of all police medals given to officers who are convicted.
If the committee decides to withdraw Rathore’s medal, a recommendation will then be sent to the President.
IANS adds
The home ministry on Monday decided to strip former Haryana director general of police (DGP) S.P.S. Rathore, convicted for molesting a 14-year-old in 1990, of the police medal he was given for meritorious service in 1985.
The award committee, headed by Home Secretary G.K. Pillai, took the decision to withdraw the medal after a meeting on Monday, an official said. The recommendation will now be sent to President Pratibha Patil.
The former police chief was awarded the medal Aug 15, 1985.
The budding tennis teenager committed suicide in 1993 after her family was allegedly harassed for three years by Rathore.
Rathore was Dec 21, 2009 sentenced to six months in jail and Rs.1,000 fine for the molestation 19 years ago, evoking widespread protests over what people called a light punishment.
He has now been booked by Panchkula police in two fresh cases, including the non-bailable charge of attempt to murder, after the girl's family filed fresh complaints.
