Amit Sharma
Chandigarh, January 7
The Chandigarh Police have slapped fresh charges against former Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sandeep Singh, who was booked for allegedly sexually harassing a junior athletics coach. The police have included Section 509 of the IPC in the FIR, which deals with “word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman”.
Earlier, a case under Sections 354, 354-A, 354-B, 342 and 506 of the IPC was registered against the former Indian hockey team captain at the Sector 26 police station.
Sources in the police said the clothes that the alleged victim wore on the day of the incident had also been seized. The special investigation team (SIT) is also looking into the allegation of rape attempt levelled by the coach. The SIT had also asked an office-bearer of the Haryana State Athletics Association to join the investigation in context with the Rs 1-crore offer made to the alleged victim. The coach had claimed that she was offered Rs 1 crore for not pursuing the case.
She had provided to the police the mobile phone number from which she had received a call. Based on the information, the police served a notice on that person under Section 160 of the CrPC. The notice was issued by Inspector Usha Rani, a member of the SIT. The SIT members today again visited Sandeep Singh’s official residence in Sector 7.
The SIT is also investigating the claims made by the coach that the final list of outstanding sportspersons, who were given the job of coaches, was shared with her by Sandeep Singh on Snapchat two months in advance.
As per the allegations, the confidential document that also had the alleged victim’s name was shared with her in July, though it was declared in September last year. Sandeep Singh was booked on December 31, a day after the coach had approached the police with a complaint.
