Woman Who Accused Minister Of Harassment Alleges 'Pressure To Stay Silent'

The woman coach, who alleged sexual harassment by Haryana Sports Minister Sandeep Singh, on Tuesday claimed that Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has been trying to influence the probe.

Speaking to the media after she appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Chandigarh Police, the woman said, "The SIT has been formed, everything was told in detail. Haryana Chief Minister is trying to influence the investigation. The incident happened in Chandigarh...I am being pressurised to be silent."

She claimed that she is receiving phone calls asking her to leave the country for which she has been offered Rs 1 crore. The coach further claimed that Haryana Police is putting pressure on her.

"I have told everything in detail to the Chandigarh Police SIT. I also told the pending issues to the SIT. I heard the Chief Minister's statement this morning, in which the Chief Minister himself is taking the side of Sandeep Singh. Chandigarh Police did not put any pressure on me. Haryana Police is trying to put pressure on me," she said.

"I am receiving phone calls that I can leave and go to any country I want and I would get Rs 1 crore for a month," added the woman.

The coach's advocate Dipanshu Bansal alleged that the Chandigarh Police has not arrested the former minister, nor have the police interrogated him.

"Haryana Chief Minister made the SIT. Everything was told to SIT. Why police are not arresting Sandeep Singh. It is a non-bailable offence. Sandeep Singh was not called but she was called four times," Mr Bansal said.

Representatives from Dhankhar Khap along with the father of the woman coach, who accused sports minister Sandeep Singh of sexual harassment, met Haryana Home minister Anil Vij in Ambala on Tuesday.

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.

"I tried as much as I could. He created such an atmosphere officially that a girl comes to him automatically," she added.

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.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)