Lady coach who filed sexual harassment case against Sandeep Singh suspended

Due to the complaint of sexual harassment by a woman athletics coach, case was registered against former Indian men's hockey team captain Sandeep Singh who served as sports minister of Haryana

Haryana sports ministry has suspended a woman athletics coach who filed a sexual harassment case against former sports minister Sandeep Singh. The suspension order was handed to the coach on August 11 and had the signatures of Haryana sports department Director Yashendra Singh.

What does the suspension order read?

The order reads, “The services of the junior athletic coach are suspended with immediate effect without prejudice.”

What does the sexual harassment matter relate to?

The woman coach complained on December 26, 2022. Five days later, on December 31, Chandigarh police filed a case of sexual harassment against Sandeep, who is a former India captain of the men’s hockey team. The FIR put charges of stalking, illegal confinement, sexual harassment and criminal intimidation.

 

The woman coach said that Sandeep saw her in the gym and then started stalking her. The Olympian then pestered her to meet over Instagram messages, and when the coach agreed to meet for some document-related work, she was sexually harassed by the minister in charge.

After the case was filed, Sandeepo resigned from his position on moral grounds.

What did Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar say about the case?

The coach said that the sports ministry continued to force her to meet Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and drop the case against Sandeep. On her failure to oblige to those orders, she was suspended.

Earlier, speaking on this issue, Khattar had said, “Levelling allegations against someone and registration of an FIR because of that does not prove anyone guilty.”