Haryana: Court notice to Olympian Sandeep Singh on plea to add attempt-to-rape charge

The former India hockey captain was booked in 2022 after a junior coach accused him of sexually assaulting her; he had dismissed the allegations, saying that he was and said he had been falsely implicated in the case

A local court has issued notice to former India hockey captain and ex-Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, an Olympian, and another respondent on a revision petition seeking the addition of an attempt-to-rape charge in the ongoing sexual harassment case against him.

Former Haryana minister Sandeep Singh

Additional sessions judge Arvind Kumar, in an order dated August 27, directed that notice of the revision petition, along with an application seeking condonation of a 13-day delay in filing it, be issued to the respondents for November 4. The court also directed that the respondents be served after copies are filed through registered post with acknowledgement due, while allowing dasti summons as requested.

The revision petition has been filed under Sections 397 and 399 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) against an order dated May 11, 2026. The petitioner has also filed an affidavit in support of the application seeking condonation of delay. The court directed that the petition and accompanying application be checked and registered.

The complainant, a junior coach, had alleged that she was molested at the then minister’s official residence in Chandigarh on July 1, 2022, and that he pushed her when she resisted and tore her T-shirt before she managed to escape.

A day later, the survivor visited Chandigarh Police headquarters and lodged a complaint. The Chandigarh Police registered an FIR in December 2022 under Sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment), 354-B (assault or criminal force with intent to disrobe), 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.

Singh had dismissed the allegations and said he had been falsely implicated in the case. The court framed charges against Singh in July 2024.

The complainant had alleged that she came in contact with Singh on social media before her recruitment. She said he had asked her to meet him at his official residence in Chandigarh on March 2, 2022, and July 1, 2022, to verify her job-related documents, where he allegedly sexually harassed and assaulted her.

Singh was the MLA from Pehowa and was a minister of state (independent charge) when the case was registered on December 29, 2022.