Sandeep Singh Sexual Harassment: The Chandigarh Police on Saturday said an inquiry will be conducted into the allegation of sexual harassment against Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh and all aspects will be looked into. The allegation was made by a junior athletics coach from the state on Thursday and a day later, she approached police with a complaint. Follow Latest Hockey Updates with InsideSport.IN.
The minister, however, has dismissed the charge as baseless and has called for an independent probe. “The complaint has been filed and an inquiry will be conducted into all aspects,” said an official of the police station where the complaint of the woman, a coach in the Haryana sports department, has been marked. Sandeep Singh, a BJP leader, has also said he would lodge a complaint against her for tarnishing his image.
Sandeep Singh Sexual Harassment: Chandigarh Police launches probe after athletics coach lodges complaint against former India hockey captain Sandeep Singh for sexual harassment
“Complaint has been received from Sandeep Singh, Minister of State, Sports and Youth Affairs, Haryana…”, according to an order issued by Haryana Director General of Police P K Agrawal, who has formed a committee headed by Additional Director General of Police, Rohtak Range, Mamta Singh.
The “allegations in this regard are also circulating on social and electronic media”, the order stated. The committee has Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, Sumer Partap Singh, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, Raj Kumar Kaushik, as its members.
The woman had told reports on Friday: “I have given a complaint to SSP madam (Senior Superintendent of Police) here. I am hopeful that I will get justice and the Chandigarh Police will investigate my complaint.” She alleged that Sandeep Singh, a former hockey captain, had first seen her at a gym and then contacted her on Instagram.
The coach claimed that the MLA from Pehowa in Kurukshetra kept insisting that they meet. “He messaged me on Instagram and said my national games certificate is pending and wanted to meet in this regard,” she said.
“Unfortunately, my certificate has been misplaced by my federation and I have been taking it up with authorities concerned,” the woman said. She has said she agreed to meet him at his residence-cum-camp office here with some other documents she had. When she went there, the minister indulged in sexual misconduct, the woman said.
Sandeep Singh Sexual Harassment: Chandigarh Police launches probe after athletics coach lodges complaint against former India hockey captain Sandeep Singh for sexual harassment
“He then took me to a side cabin of his residence… He placed my documents on the side table and placed his hand on my foot. He said when he saw me for the first time, he liked me… He said you keep me happy and I will keep you happy,” the woman alleged.
“I removed his hand…he even tore my T-shirt. I was crying and I raised an alarm for help and though all his staff was there, no one helped me,” she alleged.
Asked about the allegations, Sandeep Singh had on Thursday dubbed them as baseless and called for an independent probe. “I want an independent probe. We will also get it probed because my image has been tarnished,” he had said while denying the charge. The minister had said all details about the woman’s entire life should be looked into.
While former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has demanded an impartial inquiry into the allegations levelled by the woman, the Indian National Lok Dal has demanded that the Manohar Lal Khattar government immediately sack Sandeep Singh and set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the matter.
Sandeep Singh Sexual Harassment: Chandigarh Police launches probe after athletics coach lodges complaint against former India hockey captain Sandeep Singh for sexual harassment
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