CHANDIGARH, DECEMBER 3: If Haryana DGP S.P.S. Rathore, charged with molestation of 14-year-old Ruchika, hoped to find any support from his predecessors, he has bad news coming. Four former DGPs contacted by The Indian Express today said - while stressing that only the courts could pronounce him guilty or innocent - that he should not continue in office as long as the charges hold. If he himself doesn't feel the need to quit, they add, the state should take necessary action.R.R. Singh, the man who as then DGP conducted an inquiry into the charges and recommended registration of an FIR against Rathore, minces no words in asking for his removal. ``As the inquiry officer, I did my job. Now, I'm disgusted with the action taken by the government on my report'', he said.``Keeping in view the nature of the case, Rathore should have been removed from the post immediately.''Equally scathing and more sarcastic was P.C. Wadhwa. ``Hamari to naak kat gai hai, doob ke mar jana chahiye. What to speak of taking action, Rathore should have been thrown out by now.'' What's allowing him to continue, he added, was the bankruptcy of the system.``What example is he setting for the force in the state? I suggest the topic for the next Police Science Congress should be Rathore and law and order in the context of Haryana.''``What's shameful is the way the issue has been handled by the state. Now that he's been chargesheeted, I don't know how he has the face to issue instructions to his juniors.''``He's lost all his right to stay in the post'', said S.S. Brar. ``I'm not saying, of course, that he's guilty but till he's proved innocent he should have decided to keep out of office.''He also came down hard on the state government. ``If he's not ready to oblige, then what is the state government doing? It's still not too late to act. What they should do is remove him from this post and keep him at a similar level elsewhere till the case is decided in court.''His views are echoed by H.R. Swan: The state government should temporarily remove Rathore from the post till the court decides. ``The government comprises representative of the people of the state and it should respect their feelings.''Interestingly, he brought up the issue of the moral responsibility of those holding high office and the dignity of the post. He also raised the point of the state not taking action against those who had caused the case to lie in limbo - especially those who colluded to prevent the FIR from being registered - all these years.
