For 12 years, SPS Rathore seemed unstoppable. He worked his way up from Inspector General of Police in Haryana to retire as Director General - the highest post for a police officer in the state. Now, the same politicians who pushed Rathore to the top are distancing themselves from a man found guilty of molesting a teenager. 

Rathore's crime is not a revelation. In 1990, when Ruchika Girhotra accused him of molesting her, a police inquiry said Inspector General Rathore was guilty. Rathore's own boss, RR Singh, then Director General, recommended action against him. He says the government ignored his request. A claim corroborated by JK Duggal, who was the Home Secretary. He says both the chief minister and the Home Minister did not sanction a case against Rathore. At that time, the chief minister was Hukum Singh. Filing an FIR against an Inspector General of Police needed the Chief Minister's permission which was never issued.
 
In 1993, Bhajan Lal was chief minister. Ruchika's brother was framed for theft and jailed in October. Tired of watching her family bear the consequences of what she had gone through,   Ruchika killed herself in December. Her brother was then released from prison, acquitted of the cases against him.

Even as Ruchika's suicide went uninvestigated, Bhajan Lal had Rathore promoted to Additional Director General in November 1994. In 1996, Bansi Lal was inducted as Chief Minister. Rathore was now promoted to Director General.

In July 1999, Chautala returned to power.  A month later, after a relentless campaign seeking justice, Ruchika's childhood friend, Aradhana Parkash, finally won a CBI inquiry into the case that didn't stop Chautala from giving Rathore another promotion in October, making him Director General of Police of the entire state. So impressed was Chautala by Rathore's abilities, that his government also recommended the policeman for the President's Medal. 

Now, Chautala says he can't be blamed for shielding Rathore. "He was promoted from IG to ADG during Bhajan Lal's regime. He became a DGP in Bansi Lal's regime. He was already a DGP when I came in power."
 
In November 2000, the CBI filed a chargesheet against Rathore. It accused Rathore of molesting Ruchika, even though its own conclusion was that Ruchika killed herself as a result of her sexual abuse. In December, Chautala asked Rathore to go on leave. He was never suspended.

In 2001, lawyers representing Ruchika's family and friends asked the CBI judge to increase the charges against Rathore to abatement of suicide amounting to murder. The CBI judge agreed, slamming the CBI for not having done this already. But Rathore appealed against this - and won - in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. 

In 2002, Rathore retired as the Director General of the Haryana Police. Four chief ministers had done nothing to punish him. They ignored the testimony of a series of people, including Ruchika's brother, which stated that Rathore had driven Ruchika to suicide. 

On December 21, 2009, a court declared Rathore guilty of molesting Ruchika and sentenced him to six months in prison. He was granted bail within ten minutes of that verdict.