Former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala on Friday defended himself in the Ruchika Girhotra molestation case, saying his government had taken immediate action against former top cop SPS Rathore when a complaint was lodged against him 19 years ago.

"SPS Rathore was chargesheeted during my government. Back then, when the complaint came, an FIR was immediately lodged. Yet my government was not satisfied with the action. Therefore, we ordered a departmental enquiry into the case," Chautala said at a press conference here on Friday.