A Chandigarh court has framed charges against former Haryana sports minister and BJP leader Sandeep Singh in a sexual harassment case filed by a junior female coach.
The additional chief judicial magistrate, Rahul Garg, rejected Singh’s discharge application, as stated by the complainant’s lawyer, Deepanshu Bansal.
The case originates from a complaint filed two years ago by a junior athletics coach from Haryana. She alleged that on July 1, 2022, Singh summoned her to his residence, where he molested her and “tore up her clothes.”
The court also declined the complainant’s request to include section 376 (rape) in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for August 17.
Singh, who previously captained the Indian hockey team, maintains that he has been wrongfully accused. The complaint, lodged at the Sector-26 police station in Chandigarh on December 31, 2022, led to the case against Singh. At the time, Singh, a first-time Member of the Legislative Assembly, was serving as a minister.
The court invoked several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Singh, including sections 354, 354A, 354B, 506, and 509. Additionally, Singh’s plea for discharge was denied by the court.
