Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh, who was granted anticipatory bail in connection with a sexual harassment case filed against him last year by a junior woman coach, appeared before a court in Chandigarh to furnish bail bonds on Saturday.
Singh appeared before the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rahul Garg to furnish the bail bonds. His counsel Siddhant Pandit, along with the minister’s main counsel Rabindra Pandit, was present in court.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge Rajeev K Beri, had granted anticipatory bail to Singh on Friday. As part of the bail conditions, the court directed Singh to surrender before the trial court or illaqa magistrate in Chandigarh within 10 days from Friday. He was also required to provide personal bonds along with one surety each of Rs 1 lakh to the satisfaction of the said court.
Last month, the Chandigarh police filed a charge sheet in the case, nearly eight months after the initial registration of the complaint. The case revolves around allegations of sexual assault made by a junior athletic coach from Haryana against the BJP leader.
Singh’s legal team argued that he had been falsely implicated in the case, a claim countered by the complainant’s counsel. Singh has been booked under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault or criminal force with intent to disrobe), 342 (wrongful confinement), and 506 (criminal intimidation).
At present, Sandeep Singh serves as the Minister of State for Printing and Stationery, and he is a first-time MLA and former India hockey captain. Following his charges in connection with the alleged sexual harassment case, Singh resigned as the Sports and Youth Affairs minister on “moral grounds.”
