Sexual harassment case: Court frames charges against BJP leader Sandeep Singh

A court in Chandigarh on Monday, 29 July, framed charges against former Haryana minister and BJP leader Sandeep Singh in an alleged sexual harassment case registered on the complaint of a junior woman coach.

The court of additional chief judicial magistrate Rahul Garg also dismissed the discharge application filed by Singh, the complainant's counsel Deepanshu Bansal said.

The charges have been framed against Singh under Indian Penal Code sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354B (assault or criminal force with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of woman), Bansal said.

The court also dismissed the complainant's plea to add section 376 (rape) in the case, he said and added that the court has fixed August 17 as the next date of hearing.

The case stems from allegations of sexual assault made by a junior athletic coach from Haryana against the BJP leader.

Singh, a former Indian hockey captain, had said he has been falsely implicated in the case.

He was booked after the woman's complaint was registered on 31 December 2022, at the Sector-26 police station here. Singh, a first-time MLA, was the minister when the complaint was filed against him.