The governmenton Monday decided to strip former Haryana DGP SPS Rathore of his police medal as it put in place a mechanism for automatic withdrawl of such decorations to convicted officers. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Union Home Secretary G K Pillai in New Delhi. Medals and similar honours are given to police officers by the President on the recommendation of the government. With this decision, suspended IPS officer R K Sharma, convicted in the journalist Shivani Bhatnagar murder case, will also stand to lose his medal. Earlier, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda<br/>recommended withdrawal of the Police medal of Rathore who has been convicted in the Ruchika molestation case. In a letter to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Mr Hooda had said Rathore has brought disrepute and bad name to the state and the police force. The latter also mentioned moral turpitude on the part of Rathore in the case.<br/><br/>Rathore was awarded the police medal for meritorious service in 1985.<br/><br/>Madhu Parkash, the complainant in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case has welcomed the Centre's decision to withdraw police medals to officers who have been convicted by courts. Ms Madhu, the mother of sole witness Aradhna, said that the decision is a very good step of the Centre and she is very happy on it.