Indian hockey captain Sardar Singh denies sexual harassment charge

Under-fire India hockey captain Sardar Singh on Wednesday rubbished alleged sexual harassment charges levelled against him by a British hockey player of Indian origin, saying even though he knew her they never got engaged as claimed by the woman.

The 21-year-old woman has filed a written complaint with Ludhiana police, claiming she has been engaged to Sardar for the past four years and alleged that he "mentally, physically and emotionally tortured" her. "I know her but it's wrong to say that I assaulted her," Sardar said. She also alleged that Sardar forced her to abort their child last year against her wishes and later refused to marry her. Sardar said these are serious allegations and he will retort back at an appropriate time as he is presently focussing on the ongoing Hockey India League, where he is captaining the Jaypee Punjab Warriors side.

"Presently my full concentration in on the ongoing HIL. After last night's match, I came to know about the allegations. Tomorrow I have a match again. It is a very serious allegation. I will look at the report and consult my lawyer. I will answer all questions but I need some time," he said. Asked whether he got engaged to the complainant, Sardar outrightly denied it, saying: "Nothing like that happened between us."

In her complaint to the Ludhiana Police Commissioner P S Umranangal, the woman said that she had got engaged to Sardar in the latter’s native village. "We have been in a four-year relationship which was known to all in India and abroad. I met him during the London Olympics and he finally proposed to me during the 2014 World Cup in Hague. He then invited me to his native village where Sardar and his family formally initiated the engagement," she alleged.

"After this Sardar and I were expecting our first child in mid-2015. I spoke to him regarding this and he said sorry I don't want to have the child and you must abort it immediately otherwise I won't speak to you and there will be no contact. "So under pressure and with him also threatening and blackmailing me physically and emotionally, I aborted our child under the consultation of my parents. After this, Sardar abandoned me," the woman further alleged.

The complainant said she filed the FIR to make public Sardar's fraud and the injustice which she has meted on her. "I filed the FIR because Sardar has resorted to fraudulent means. He lied to me, cheated me, physically, mentally and emotionally abused me," she said. "It has come to the point now that I need justice as a woman. If Sardar has any self-respect, he will call me or contact my lawyers.

Talking to media at his home at Sant Nagar in Sirsa district of Haryana, Gurnam Singh, Sardar's father rubbished the charges. "It is a conspiracy to spoil Sardar's career. The accusations (of the woman) are baseless. There is nothing like that," he maintained.

Meanwhile, Ludhiana Police Commissioner Pramraj Singh Umranangal on Wednesday formed a Special Investigating Team ( SIT) to inquire into the complaint.