Monday, January 4, 2010

India 'sex crime' police chief to lose medal

The former police chief of the northern Indian state of Haryana, SPS Rathore, will be stripped of his police medal after being convicted of a sex crime.

India's interior ministry said the medals of all convicted police officers would be taken back.

Mr Rathore was convicted last month of molesting 14-year-old Ruchika Girhotra, who later committed suicide.

A court sentenced him to six months in jail. He received his medal for meritorious service in 1985.

Fresh cases have been filed against Mr Rathore for allegedly falsely charging Miss Girhotra's brother with theft on numerous occasions.

Mr Rathore sought anticipatory bail following the complaints. A court will hear the case on Friday.

'Disrepute'

The recommendation to take back the medal has been sent to President Pratibha Patil by the medals committee of India's home ministry.

Earlier on Monday, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda recommended the withdrawal of Mr Rathore's police medal.

In a letter to Home Minister P Chidambaram, Mr Hooda said the police officer had brought "disrepute and bad name" to the state and the police force, news agency PTI reports.

Ruchika Girhotra complained in 1990 that she was assaulted by Mr Rathore.

Three years later, she committed suicide, after she and her family were the subject of a campaign of harassment.

There has been outrage in India over the six-month jail sentence given to Mr Rathore for molesting Miss Girhotra.

Her family and activists say he has got away with a "very light punishment".

India's National Commission for Women has also demanded that the police revisit the case.

Campaigners say Mr Rathore should be tried for "abetment of suicide" which carries a much longer jail sentence.

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