Ruchika case: Punjab, Haryana HC slams Haryana government

The Punjab and Haryana high court has pulled up the Haryana Government for not acting for nine years on a complaint against former state police chief SPS Rathore in the Ruchika molestation case.

A division bench of the high court comprising chief justice Mukul Mudgil and justice Jasbir Singh yesterday slammed the state government for taking nine years to register an FIR against Rathore.

What prevented the Haryana government from registering an FIR in this case for such a long period, the bench asked the state government while hearing a PIL related to Ruchika's molestation filed by a local NGO seeking action against all those responsible for 19 years' delay in justice in the infamous case.

The court also asked the government about the factors which led to the high court's intervention in getting an FIR registered in the case.

In its reply, the Haryana government stated that it had to drop further proceedings when the then DGP RR Singh submitted his confidential fact-finding report and held Rathore guilty.

The government could not take any action against Rathore as he was on deputation with the Centre, the counsel said.

The court also directed the Haryana government to place on record before it all the files containing report of the former state DGP and all subsequent communication and action taken on the matter on March 23.

After the molestation incident on August 12, 1990, Madhu Parkash, wife of Anand Parkash, had submitted the complaint to the Haryana police.