Haryana sports minister quits over sexual harassment case; victim meets HM Vij

Chandigarh Police on January 1 registered a sexual harassment case against Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh after a junior athletics coach complaint against the minister on December 30.

“A female coach of Haryana submitted a complaint against Haryana Sports Minister on December 30. Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against him. It is being investigated and we will do a fair probe,” said Chandigarh DSP Ram Gopal.

Following the case, Singh today resigned from his position, saying that the allegations against him are an attempt to 'spoil his image'.

"There is an attempt to spoil my image. I hope there will be a thorough investigation into the false allegations levelled against me. I hand over the responsibility of the Sports department to the Chief Minister until the report of the investigation comes out," he said.

The woman held a press conference and levelled serious allegations against Singh. She said that the minister harassed her for nine months, from February to November last year, through messages on social media. She alleged that Singh touched her inappropriately and also threatened her in messages. As per the junior athletics coach, she had to quit social media due to the constant harassment.

Reacting to the sexual harassment case against Sandeep Singh, Haryana Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Hooda today has demanded a fair investigation.

"Sandeep has given his resignation and now a fair investigation should be done," he said.

Earlier in the day, the female coach also met Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij in Ambala.

Sandeep Singh is a sitting BJP MLA from Kurukshetra’s Pehowa. He was also the former captain of the Indian national hockey team. He was also a judge in a reality TV show.

A biopic was released based on Singh in 2018, titled 'Soorma', in which Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh played his role.

He gained popularity after making a remarkable recovery from a gunshot injury when he was 20. Just two days before the 2007 Hockey World Cup, an assistant sub-inspector of the Railways Police Force unintentionally shot Sandeep Singh on a train bound for Delhi, leaving him for a year paralysed from the waist down.