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Sexual harassment case against Sandeep Singh: Chats with colleague, dept record among evidence cited by police
On Monday, a fresh copy of the challan was submitted in the court of additional chief judicial magistrate, Rahul Garg, and the court issued a notice to the minister. The next date is now September 16. The statement of the victim, her colleague from the office and “other circumstances” brought on record by virtue of documents to prove that victim was harassed, are some of the evidences relied upon by the Chandigarh Police in the chargesheet filed against Haryana minister Sandeep Singh
The statement of the victim, her colleague from the office and “other circumstances” brought on record by virtue of documents to prove that victim was harassed, are some of the evidences relied upon by the Chandigarh Police in the chargesheet filed against Haryana minister Sandeep Singh in a sexual harassment case, multiple sources who have perused the documents said.
On Monday, a fresh copy of the challan was submitted in the court of additional chief judicial magistrate, Rahul Garg, and the court issued a notice to the minister. The next date is now September 16.
The FIR against the minister, who was also former captain of the Indian hockey team, was registered on December 31, 2022, on the complaint of a junior athletics coach. Singh on January 1 gave up his sports portfolio, saying he has taken the step on moral grounds, and claimed the charges against him were baseless.
The final report submitted runs into 700 pages and Chandigarh Police have invoked Sections 354 (outraging woman’s modesty), 354 A, 354 B , 342 (wrongful confinement), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The punishment under Sections 354 of the IPC can range from imprisonment for up to five years, a fine or both.
The chargesheet has nearly 45 witnesses. “Other than the statement of the victim, the Chandigarh Police have relied upon the statement of a woman colleague posted at the same office as the victim, wherein on WhatsApp chat between the victim and the colleague, the latter has commented: “Everything is happening because of the minister,” an officer said.
Another officer confirmed that the police have relied upon other circumstances by virtue of documents the prosecutrix alleged that she was harassed by the minister with an “intension” of developing physical relations with her.
The woman had stated in the FIR that she was harassed by Singh by creating problems in her training at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, her permission for training in foreign country was denied and she was transferred to Jhajjar from Panchkula, where there are no athletic track facilities.
She also stated that the accused shared a confidential list of appointment of selectees as junior coach much well in advance with her over Snapchat in May 2022, wherein the actual appointment letter was issued to her and others in September 2022. The Chandigarh Police have included in the chargesheet the relevant record from the sports department to establish these allegations, the officer said.
