Matter will remain biased until Sandeep Singh resigns, says woman coach

The woman coach who charged the Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh with sexual harassment, claimed that until the minister resigns, the matter would be biased.

Speaking to the media after she appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Chandigarh Police on Tuesday, the woman said, "I heard the Chief Minister's statement this morning, in which the Chief Minister himself is taking the side of Sandeep Singh. Until the minister resigns, it would be a matter of bias."

She claimed that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is trying to influence the probe. "Chandigarh Police did not put any pressure on me. Haryana Police is trying to pressurize me," she further added.

The coach's advocate Dipanshu Bansal said, "Questions have been answered for the last eight hours. Whatever records my client had, we have already handed over to the police. The phone has also been given to the police. She was questioned for the fourth time."

The advocate further added, "We will give 2 or 3 days time to the police for arresting Sandeep Singh. We will get the statement of 164 recorded by Tuesday itself."

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 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.

During the press briefing, the woman demanded that the Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana immediately sack Sandeep Singh and set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.

Notably, on Sunday, the woman told ANI that she opened up about the incident to the public after her she lost patience.

"I am also a player, think how much patience I would have to tolerate such ill behaviour of this person from February till now," the woman said, adding that she didn't open up about the incident earlier as she was afraid of negative impact on the sports industry.

Hours after sexual harassment allegations were levelled against him, Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh on Sunday 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.