CHANDIGARH: Haryana’s prowess in sport and its huge haul of medals in national and international competitions has a dark side too – there have been 24 sexual harassment complaints by female sportspersons in the state in the past five years, since 2019.
The list includes the complaint of sexual harassment by a sportswoman and junior athletic coach against Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, which is now being heard by a court in Chandigarh.
These 24 complaints of sexual harassment have been filed by female athletes against coaches, sportsmen and officials in the last five years, according to the details of cases registered between January 1, 2019 and December 2023.
Five cases were registered in 2019, followed by two cases in 2020, six in 2021, three in 2022 and eight this year. Notably, six of these 24 cases were either cancelled or withdrawn.
Four of the accused were acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove the complaint of sexual harassment in court during the trials and 14 of the cases are under trial.
The information was provided by Haryana’s home minister Anil Vij in the ongoing winter session of the assembly on Monday in response to the query raised by INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala. Abhay had sought a discussion on the issue of harassment of female sportspersons in the state.
Vij only referred to the Sandeep Singh case and said the incident was being probed by the Chandigarh police and the case was under trial at a Chandigarh court.
Among the cases was one involving a woman Taekwondo player, who in 2019 accused her wrestling coach of harassment in Gurugram.
However, the complainant’s father died in this period and the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
Similarly, a woman wrestler lodged a complaint in 2019 against her fellow wrestler and the son of a coach at Rohtak’s women police station. However, the wrestler withdrew her complaint later.
The under trial cases include the one lodged by a woman hockey player against the coach at Kurukshetra’s women police station and a woman wrestler’s complaint against her coach which was registered in November 2022 in Sonipat. In both these cases, the coaches were arrested and are facing trial.
In October 2022, the coach of a woman boxer was booked and arrested in a case under various sections of the Pocso Act and the Indian Penal Code in Hisar district and is currently facing trial.
In August last year, a DPE (demonstrator of physical education), a resident of Chautala village, was booked and arrested by the police in a case registered on the complaint of a female athlete in the Dabwali police district and the accused is facing trial.
The list includes the complaint of sexual harassment by a sportswoman and junior athletic coach against Haryana minister Sandeep Singh, which is now being heard by a court in Chandigarh.
These 24 complaints of sexual harassment have been filed by female athletes against coaches, sportsmen and officials in the last five years, according to the details of cases registered between January 1, 2019 and December 2023.
Five cases were registered in 2019, followed by two cases in 2020, six in 2021, three in 2022 and eight this year. Notably, six of these 24 cases were either cancelled or withdrawn.
Four of the accused were acquitted as the prosecution failed to prove the complaint of sexual harassment in court during the trials and 14 of the cases are under trial.
The information was provided by Haryana’s home minister Anil Vij in the ongoing winter session of the assembly on Monday in response to the query raised by INLD MLA Abhay Singh Chautala. Abhay had sought a discussion on the issue of harassment of female sportspersons in the state.
Vij only referred to the Sandeep Singh case and said the incident was being probed by the Chandigarh police and the case was under trial at a Chandigarh court.
Among the cases was one involving a woman Taekwondo player, who in 2019 accused her wrestling coach of harassment in Gurugram.
However, the complainant’s father died in this period and the prosecution failed to prove the charges.
Similarly, a woman wrestler lodged a complaint in 2019 against her fellow wrestler and the son of a coach at Rohtak’s women police station. However, the wrestler withdrew her complaint later.
The under trial cases include the one lodged by a woman hockey player against the coach at Kurukshetra’s women police station and a woman wrestler’s complaint against her coach which was registered in November 2022 in Sonipat. In both these cases, the coaches were arrested and are facing trial.
In October 2022, the coach of a woman boxer was booked and arrested in a case under various sections of the Pocso Act and the Indian Penal Code in Hisar district and is currently facing trial.
In August last year, a DPE (demonstrator of physical education), a resident of Chautala village, was booked and arrested by the police in a case registered on the complaint of a female athlete in the Dabwali police district and the accused is facing trial.