The Chandigarh police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) Sunday to probe the sexual harassment allegations against Haryana sports minister Sandeep Singh who handed over his portfolio to Chief Minister M L Khattar earlier in the day. The minister handed over his portfolio after an FIR was registered against him on a woman junior coach’s complaint. The police said the SIT, headed by Deputy Superintendent of Police (East) Palak Goel, also included inspectors Usha Rani and Ranjeet Singh. The team will report to SP (City) Shruti Arora and SSP (UT) Manisha Chaudhary. Sandeep Singh was booked on Saturday for stalking, illegal confinement, sexual harassment and criminal intimidation, a day after the woman coach lodged a police complaint against him. The minister has rejected the allegations, terming them baseless. After lodging the complaint, the woman coach had said, "I have been assured of an impartial probe. I also raised the issue of my security. I have been receiving intimidating messages on my social media accounts. Out of fear, I have stopped attending phone calls. The minister harassed me between February and November at his office and other places. Once, he even asked me to meet him in Sector 7. He mostly communicated with me over social media. He touched me inappropriately at his house in Chandigarh. I have narrated the sequence of events to the Chandigarh police."
