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A junior coach, who is also a 400 m national level athlete, accused Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh of sexual misconduct on Thursday.

File photo of Olympian and Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh (Photo: Twitter/@flickersingh)

By Manjeet Sehgal: A junior coach has accused Olympian and Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh of sexual harassment.

In a press conference held in Chandigarh, the coach, who is also a national level athlete, said Sandeep Singh allegedly invited her to his official residence where she was allegedly molested.

The lady coach has also accused the minister of harassing other female players.

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The junior coach alleged that the sports minister contacted her on Instagram and was allegedly using vanish mode, which automatically deleted the alleged conversation that took place between him and the victim.

Sandeep Singh also allegedly asked the coach to chat on Snapchat. The Minister, as alleged by the coach, later asked her to meet him personally at Sector 7 in Chandigarh.

“He continued to block and unblock me when I did not turn up on his directions,” says the lady coach, who further alleged that the minister later asked her to meet him at his residence in the name of submitting some documents where she was allegedly sexually harassed.

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The female coach has alleged that Sandeep Singh had promised her the choicest place of posting besides other amenities, in lieu of sexual favours.

The victim said when she did not obey the minister, she was transferred and was even harassed by stopping her training. The lady coach also claimed that she had raised the issue with the chief minister’s office, DGP office, Home Minister Anil Vij besides others but she was not heard.

The victim is a 400m national champion athlete and also served as a state coach during the Olympics held in Rio. She had joined Panchkula but was later transferred by the sports minister at Jhajjar.

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Meanwhile, the opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) has appealed to the chief minister to intervene.

“The chief minister should immediately take action against the sports minister Sandeep Singh who has been accused of sexual harassment,” INLD leader Abhay chautala said.

Chautala has also demanded that the matter should be probed by an SIT and the minister should be removed immediately. He also threatened to launch a protest in case no action is taken against the accused sports minister.

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Sandeep Singh denied the allegations

Meanwhile, the sports minister Sandeep Singh, while reacting to the allegations made by the junior lady coach, said that the allegations were baseless. He also accused the lady coach of hatching a conspiracy against him and claimed that he never met the lady coach.

“A junior coach of our department has made false allegations against me. She held a press conference in the office of a political party (INLD),” Sandeep Singh said.