SPS Rathore, a top police officer as sexual tormentor and killer of a young student; ND Tiwari, Governor of Andhra Pradesh who was caught on the camera in his sleazy sexual exploits, and forced to resign on 'Moral Grounds' - as the Congress party would have it, and Dinakaran, Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court, involved in another scandal, but continues to be fortified, using among other things, the anti-Dalit bogey of Udit Raj, will continue to haunt Indian democracy and its psyche for a long time.
The sexual perversity of SPS Rathore, former police officer convicted of molesting Ruchika Girhotra after nearly two decades of the inhuman event, which caused her suicide and snuffed out a young life of playful innocence must have shaken all people of any conscience. It has raised more questions about the credibility and integrity of our law and order system and of men occupying responsible positions in India's governance's structures.
While, the debate on the issue anchored by Barkha Dutt on the NDTV channel was moving, serious and comprehensive, what of next, and how do we protect our more vulnerable children from the poacher-turned game-keepers, are serious questions which have no answers yet.
Though different yet related are the sexual exploits of Andhra Pradesh Governor, ND Tiwari [in Congress-Gandhi cap?], which going by reports have been going on for several years. That raises larger questions about what goes on in the Raj Bhavans, whether they are dens of sleaze, and the relevance of gubernatorial positions in the country. Should a democracy where about half the population are illiterate, homeless, and struggling to eke out a living, be allowed to waste its scarce resources on them who seem to make no positive contribution to the nation calls for a fresh look at our Constitutional provisions.
The claim of the Congress party that Tiwari resigned on "moral grounds" is a national joke! He resigned on "immoral grounds" as a person of depravity and debasement. One is not sure if he was caught on the camera with his Pyjamas and depressing things down and in what sort of perverted acts. The nation has a right to know what went on in the Raj Bhavan and the media should show it to the viewers so that they will know what kind of debased democracy we are living in. Tiwari should also be prosecuted for misusing his power and position and should return all the perks he enjoyed as Governor to the national exchequer.
The electronic media will do well to expose his exploits, contempt of court or not, which again is a fig-leaf and big national joke.
Though not related to sex as yet, Justice Dinakaran's scandal of corruption is also deeply immoral and anti-social. When hapless persons are picked up in thousands and harassed by the police and the judiciary on flimsy grounds, it is a national shame that this person continues to be fortified. Impeachment is no answer, as it has never worked and is not likely to work in India. He should be treated like any other criminal and prosecuted. That the scandal against him is "anti-Dalit" is a bogey. He crossed the Dalit Rubicon several years ago, and cannot be treated as a Dalit, in any sense of the term. In this context one might also probe who is funding Udit Raj, a self-proclaimed Dalit upstart.
Prof P Radhakrishnan
The case related to Sri SPS Rathode, the ex Haryana DGP is one that has brought the IPS service again to the forefront of public imagination. While it is a fact that the public perception of police as an organization is not very good (for various assignable and non-assignable reasons), that of the IPS as the premier service has so far been decently high. But unfortunately in the recent few years, there have been many such infamous incidents of high-profile nature where senior officers of this Service have been found to be the perpetrators of the worst forms of crime.
The latest in this is certainly the Ruchika case where it is alleged that this 14 year old girl was forced to suicide because of Sri Rathode, the then IGP. What is even more alarming is the fact that it is being claimed that once this now deceased girl made allegations against Mr Rathode, the police officer used all means of personal and departmental power and influence to ruin the family members of Ruchika, including registering many cases against her brother and sending him to jail.
An interesting and noteworthy fact here is that even the then DGP Sri RR Singh has come out in the open to speak against a member of his own fraternity as has an IAS officer, the then Home secretary.
The way the media has taken up the issue and the way the fact that Sri Rathode was an IPS officer who supposedly misused his position, is being highlighted in the media has certainly added one more black spot to the service and to the police department as a whole. One can only hope that justice will prevail at the earliest.
Amitabh Thakur, IPS
