Sandeep Singh Case: What the Chargesheet Reveals About the Junior Coach’s Allegations

Police chargesheet points to alleged contradictions in former Haryana minister Sandeep Singh’s statements, while digital evidence, witness accounts and forensic findings form key parts of the investigation

Chandigarh: The sexual harassment case involving former Haryana minister and former Indian hockey player Sandeep Singh took a significant turn with the filing of the police chargesheet, which detailed the investigation into allegations made by a junior woman coach.

The chargesheet refers to several alleged inconsistencies between Singh’s statements and material collected during the investigation. It also records statements of witnesses, digital evidence, forensic findings and the complainant’s account of what allegedly happened at Singh’s official residence on July 1, 2022. Singh has denied the allegations.

A disputed account of the meeting

According to the chargesheet, Singh told investigators that the woman coach had sought an appointment through Instagram on March 2, 2022, and through Snapchat on July 1, 2022.

However, police said statements recorded from members of his staff suggested that the coach had been called for a private meeting rather than being summoned during regular office hours. The investigation also referred to differences in Singh’s accounts about when and where he first met the complainant.

Police said that in one representation, Singh stated that he had first met the woman at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in March-April 2022. In another statement, he reportedly said that he had met her at his residence in March. The chargesheet also questioned why the woman had allegedly been called to meet the minister outside regular office hours.

15 minutes or more than an hour?

One of the points highlighted in the chargesheet concerns the duration of the woman’s stay at Singh’s official residence. Police said Singh had stated that the woman was present at the premises for approximately 15 minutes.

However, according to the investigation, information obtained from cab aggregator Uber indicated that she remained at the residence for more than an hour. The discrepancy became part of the police’s assessment of the statements given during the investigation.

Police also said that when the complainant accompanied investigators to the alleged scene of the incident, she identified Singh’s office, adjoining rooms, bedroom and the route connecting these areas.

The prosecution later relied on the site-identification exercise as part of its case. Singh, however, had maintained that his interaction with the woman was limited to his office and denied meeting her in the bedroom or cabin.

Digital evidence becomes a key part of the case

The chargesheet places considerable emphasis on digital evidence, including chats, voice recordings and call records.

According to police, a forensic examination of the complainant’s mobile phone indicated regular communication between her and Singh. Investigators alleged that the nature of some of these interactions went beyond routine professional communication. Police also said that when screenshots from the complainant’s phone were shown to Singh, he acknowledged having communicated with her on Snapchat.

The chargesheet further refers to a call recording dated December 28, 2022 three days before the FIR was registered in which police said Singh acknowledged that the voices belonged to him and the complainant.

Police alleged that Singh’s statements regarding some of the digital evidence did not match the material recovered during the investigation. These observations form part of the prosecution’s case; they are not, by themselves, a judicial finding of guilt.

The injury allegation

Another significant aspect of the investigation concerns an alleged injury suffered by the woman coach.

According to the chargesheet, the complainant told investigators that while attempting to get away from Singh, she hit her head against a table. Police referred to a photograph allegedly sent by the woman to a person identified as Raj Mittal after a phone conversation on July 16. The photograph reportedly showed a bandage on her head.

Investigators cited the photograph and related communications as material showing that she had spoken to others about the incident. Several witnesses, according to the chargesheet, also supported parts of her account.

Appointment, transfer and alleged pressure

The investigation also examined the circumstances surrounding the woman’s appointment and subsequent transfer. According to the chargesheet, statements from sports department officials and departmental records indicated that there had been a delay in her appointment and that she was being transferred from Panchkula to Jhajjar.

Police also referred to chats in which Singh allegedly offered assistance to the woman in securing an appointment under the government’s Outstanding Sports Person (OSP) policy.

The prosecution has linked these circumstances to the complainant’s allegation that the promise of assistance was used to establish trust and allegedly exert influence over her. Singh has denied the allegations.

Former Sports Director’s statement

The statement of then Haryana Sports Director Pankaj Nain also figures prominently in the investigation. According to the chargesheet, Nain told investigators that Singh was showing particular interest in the woman coach.

The complainant had also allegedly approached Nain on three occasions regarding Singh, according to the police record. Investigators further referred to chats between the woman and several witnesses which, according to police, indicated that she was under considerable mental stress following the alleged incidents.

Why was the FIR filed months later?

The delay between the alleged incident and registration of the FIR became another issue during the investigation. The police recorded that the alleged incident took place in July 2022, while the FIR was registered on December 31, 2022. The chargesheet addressed the delay and referred to the developments involving the complainant’s posting and her attempts to raise the issue before approaching the police.

Singh’s side, meanwhile, has questioned the circumstances surrounding the complaint and has maintained that the allegations were false.

What happened after the chargesheet?

The Chandigarh Police filed the chargesheet against Singh in 2023. The case subsequently moved through the courts, with Singh receiving anticipatory bail.

In July 2024, a Chandigarh court framed charges against him under Sections 354, 354-A, 354-B, 506 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code in connection with the case. The court did not accept the complainant’s request to add charges relating to rape and attempted rape. The legal proceedings have continued, with the complainant subsequently appearing before the court to record her testimony.

A case still before the court

The chargesheet presents the police investigation’s version of the evidence collected in the case. It includes witness statements, digital material, forensic findings and the accounts of both the complainant and the accused.

However, a chargesheet and the framing of charges do not amount to a conviction. Singh has denied the allegations, and the final determination of the facts and criminal liability rests with the court after consideration of the evidence presented during the trial.

For now, the case remains closely watched because of the allegations involving a former minister, the digital evidence cited by investigators and the contrasting accounts surrounding the July 2022 meeting.