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‘Threat to life,’ claims woman coach who made sexual harassment allegations against Haryana minister

In her FIR, the junior woman coach has alleged that an SUV tried to hit her and that she has been receiving threats since her complaint against Sandeep Singh.

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Chandigarh: A junior woman coach who had filed a complaint against Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment, filed another FIR Wednesday, alleging an attempt on her life.

In her FIR registered with the Panchkula Police, the woman has also alleged that she has been receiving threats since she lodged a complaint against the minister, also former India Hockey team captain. ThePrint has a copy of the FIR registered under sections 279 (rash driving) and 336 (acting rashly to endanger life) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The complaint, made via email, said that when the woman had stopped in Sector-5, Panchkula Tuesday to get her scooty refuelled, a black SUV, driven by a man whom she described, came at a high speed “with an intention to hit” her vehicle “as to cause harm/kill me”. 

She said some bystanders tried to stop the vehicle but failed. Claiming that she called the police emergency number (112) but help didn’t arrive, she added, “It is my breach of security and is also life-threatening…This was not the first time, earlier also such incidents happened.” 

She went on to request that the alleged perpetrator be recognised and action be taken against him.

Speaking to ThePrint Wednesday, Ajit Singh, station house officer (SHO) of Sector-5 Police Station, Panchkula, said that he initially received the complaint on his WhatsApp.

“We requested her to send her complaint by email after which we promptly registered her FIR and began the investigation,” he said. 

“We will see the footage of the CCTV cameras installed around the site to identify the vehicle,” he added.

In her complaint, the woman has also mentioned the earlier FIR registered against Singh, “who is a very influential person, and a number of threats are being made to me by unknown persons, and the Haryana police has also provided me security cover with regard to the same”.


Also read: Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, hockey captain who inspired ‘Soorma’, booked for sexual harassment


Charges against Sandeep Singh

In her first FIR, lodged on 29 December 2022, the woman coach had alleged that earlier that year, Sandeep Singh had once called her to his Chandigarh residence for some paper work. Once there, she alleged, he called her to a cabin where he forced himself on her. She said she managed to escape as the door of the office didn’t have a lock and saved herself from “a rape attempt”.

Singh was the minister for sports and stationery at the time.

She claimed that despite her silence, allegedly on the advice of seniors, Singh continued to send her messages on Instagram, harassing her mentally, and making attempts to jeopardise her career.

Sandeep Singh was booked under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354-B (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

He, however, claimed that the allegations were aimed at tarnishing his reputation. He relinquished the charge of the sports ministry, but has continued to be the minister for stationery in the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana.

The Chandigarh Police, which is investigating the case, has alleged discrepancies in the minister’s statement about the duration of the woman complainant’s visit to his residence on the said date. It has sought his lie detector test through an application in a Chandigarh court. 

The court has deferred the hearing till 29 April, according to media reports, after the minister’s counsel sought more time to file his reply.

(Edited by Smriti Sinha)


Also read: ‘Allegations don’t make one guilty’ — Haryana CM Khattar defends Sandeep Singh in sexual assault row


 

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