New Delhi: Arjuna awardee Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Khajan Singh has been found guilty of sexual abuse and harrassment of female colleagues, and the home ministry has approved his dismissal from service, ThePrint has learnt.
The recommendation by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to dismiss Singh was accepted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and a notice has been sent to him, a source in the MHA confirmed.
Singh, an Arjuna Awardee and a national swimming champion who won silver at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, was a chief sports officer of the CRPF. He was placed under suspension in 2021 after a preliminary enquiry by CRPF, but was reinstated later and is currently serving.
“A notice was given to him after a detailed enquiry was done. UPSC recommended the dismissal, the MHA gave a go-ahead and a notice was issued to him to remove him from service,” a source in the central government said.
“He, however, will be given an opportunity to respond and present his case. The final orders will be issued after taking into consideration the reply received from him within 15 days,” the source added.
A group of women constables in the CRPF had accused Singh of misusing his position and sexually harassing, abusing and even threatening them.
In December 2018, a wrestler from the CRPF had filed a complaint against him with the Delhi Police, accusing him of sexually harassing her and many other girls on the department’s wrestling team. She alleged that under the pretext of training, he touched her and other girls inappropriately and took advantage of being the male coach. She accused Singh of running a “sex scandal” in the force, sexually harassing, raping and intimidating women for several years.
Singh was, however, acquitted by a Delhi court in a rape case in 2021, after the woman claimed that she levelled the allegations in a “fit of anger”. She retracted her allegations while recording a statement with the magistrate.
Singh also runs the Khajan Singh Swimming Academy in Delhi.
According to sources in the government, the CRPF looked into several complaints that were received and the vigilance department prepared a report which was then sent to the UPSC and MHA for disciplinary action.
According to the source, allegations in one case could be substantiated following which the decision to dismiss Singh from service was taken.
“CRPF took serious note of the complaints and constituted an Internal Complaints Committee headed by an Inspector General-level officer to conduct an inquiry. The decision has been taken based on merit and a detailed probe by the committee,” the source said.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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