Arrest Ex-Haryana Minister Fast, Victim's Lawyer Says. IPC Section 509 Added In Sexual Harassment Case

An FIR against the former India Hockey team captain in a sexual harassment case was registered. Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was added to the list of charges against him.

New Delhi: A day after Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya divested Sports Minister Sandeep Singh of his ministries following an FIR against the former India Hockey team captain in a sexual harassment case, Section 509 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was added to the list of charges against him, as reported by the news agency ANI.

Deepanshu Bansal, the advocate representing the woman coach who accused Singh of sexual harassment, on Sunday confirmed to ANI the inclusion of Section 509 of IPC by the Chandigarh Police to the list of charges against Singh. "They should arrest Sandeep Singh as early as possible," he added.

Bansal said, "The police have recovered the victim's clothes from the day of the incident and have also included section 509 [Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman] in the matter," as quoted by ANI. Sandeep Singh has been divested of all his portfolios, including Sports and Youth Affairs as per demands.

Last month, the woman, who is a junior athlete coach, held a press conference at the office of the opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), wherein she alleged that the then sports minister harassed her from February to November last year, by repeated messages on social media and had touched her inappropriately and also threatened her in messages.

An FIR has been registered against Sandeep Singh by the Chandigarh police under sections 354, 354A, 354B, 342, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and initiated the investigation, ANI reported.

The police on Wednesday reached the residence of Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh and registered a case of sexual assault against him at Sector 26 Police station, Chandigarh.

During her press conference, the woman coach demanded that the Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led government must immediately sack Sandeep Singh and set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. Dattatreya has handed the Sports Ministry to Khattar.

Sandeep Singh on January 1 said that he has handed over the responsibility of the Sports Department to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar until the report of the investigation is out. Singh's comments came hours after sexual harassment allegations were levelled against him.

He further added that the allegations have been levelled against him to spoil his image.

(With ANI Inputs)