Ex-Haryana top cop Rathore complains of chest pain

CHANDIGARH - Disgraced former Haryana police chief S.P.S. Rathore, who has been convicted of molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra and is currently lodged in Burail Jail here, is likely to be shifted to a premier city hospital after he complained of acute chest pain and breathlessness Saturday.

“Doctors from a government hospital had examined Rathore today (Saturday). Some of his reports have shown some complications and doctors have advised us to shift him to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) so that he can be given adequate medical treatment,” Additional Inspector General (Prisons) N.P.S. Randhawa told IANS.

“However, Rathore does not want to go out of jail and he is refusing to go to any hospital. But we are trying to convince him to cooperate with us,” Randhawa said.

Rathore, 68, a former Haryana director general of police, has been convicted for molesting teenager Ruchika Girhotra in 1990 in neighbouring Panchkula town. She committed suicide three years later.

He was sentenced to 18 months rigorous imprisonment by the district and sessions court here May 25.

He is lodged in the high-security Burail jail here since May 25 and has to remain there till June 29 as his bail petition is pending in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The next date of hearing is slated June 29.

Rathore’s wife and counsel Abha Rathore had May 26 filed a bail petition on medical grounds, saying that Rathore had undergone heart bypass surgery and required medical attention.

He was sent to jail after the court upheld his conviction in the molestation case by a CBI special court in December last year and enhanced his jail term to 18 months.

Rathore was initially sentenced to six months’ rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs.1,000 by the CBI special court. He was immediately granted bail then. Rathore filed a plea in January challenging his conviction.