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Booked in sexual assault case, Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh hands over portfolio
Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting a junior athletics coach, on Sunday handed over his portfolio to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar till a probe into the matter is over.
Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting a junior athletics coach, on Sunday handed over his portfolio to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar till a probe into the matter is over and alleged “there is an attempt to sully his image”.
Besides sports, Singh holds the printing and stationery portfolio.
“All of you are aware that there is an attempt to sully my image. In view of the false allegations, a junior coach of the sports department (Haryana) has levelled against me, I have decided on moral grounds to hand over my sports department to chief minister (Manohar Lal Khattar) until the police investigation report comes out,” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
On Thursday, the woman coach alleged that Singh, a former hockey captain and sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Pehowa in Kurukshetra, sexually harassed her when she visited his official residence in Chandigarh. A day later, the survivor visited Chandigarh Police headquarters and registered a complaint.
A First Information Report (FIR) was registered and Singh was subsequently booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of Indian Penal Code.
Haryana Police have announced the formation of a three-member committee to “conduct an in-depth” inquiry into the allegations against the minister. Director general of police (DGP) P K Agrawal said the probe panel will be led by additional director general of police (Rohini Range) Mamta Singh.
Meanwhile, the survivor on Sunday met Haryana home minister Anil Vij and said she was “hopeful that action will be taken” in the matter.
Speaking to reporters in Ambala, the woman coach said Singh had “harassed” her “physically and mentally”. “At first, I tried to avoid him but he continued to harass me,” she alleged.
“He tried to create such an atmosphere that I was forced to go to him for department-related work since I am an employee there. There is a limit to how long you can tolerate something,” she added.
HT tried to reach out to Singh for a comment on the allegations but did not get one immediately.
An Arjuna Awardee, Singh is the first Olympian from Haryana who became a legislator in October 2019. He was appointed as minister of state (independent charge) for sports and youth affairs, and printing and stationery.
