Haryana CM Khattar keeps Sports portfolio held by Minister Sandeep Singh
Chandigarh (PTI): The Sports portfolio which was given up by Haryana Minister Sandeep Singh following allegations of sexual harassment against him by a woman coach, will now be held by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya on Saturday allocated the portfolio of Sports and Youth Affairs to Khattar in addition to his existing portfolios with immediate effect, according to an official notification.
It added that Singh will cease to hold the portfolio of Sports and Youth Affairs.
"The Governor of Haryana, on the advice of the Chief Minister...is pleased to allocate, with immediate effect, the portfolio of Sports and Youth Affairs to Shri Manohar Lal, Chief Minister, Haryana, in addition to his existing portfolios," the notification said.
Singh gave up the Sports portfolio on Sunday, saying he has taken the step on moral grounds. He claimed that the charges levelled against him by the woman coach were baseless. However, he had not resigned as a minister of the BJP government.
A few days ago, Khattar had said with Singh being the Sports minister, an issue might be raised that an impartial inquiry is not taking place.
Therefore, Singh will not remain a Sports minister and he has been removed so that a proper and fair inquiry takes place, he had said. However, the notification was issued on Saturday.
Singh, a first-time MLA, was booked under sections 354 (assault or use of criminal force against a woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 B (compelling her to be naked), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on a complaint of the woman coach.
The Chandigarh Police has set up a Special Investigation Team to conduct a probe in the case.
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HC quashes criminal proceedings against Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi in drugs abuse case
Bengaluru, Jan 14: The Karnataka High Court has quashed the criminal proceedings against Kannada actress Ragini Dwivedi in a drug case, saying the prosecution could not substantiate the charges with material evidence.
The bench of Justice Hemant Chandanagoudar also quashed the proceedings against the co-accused Prashant Ranka.
It said, "However, to substantiate the charges against the petitioners, the prosecution has not produced any material evidence to prove that the petitioners organized parties or sold drugs, apart from the voluntary statements of the co-accused and chargesheet witnesses."
"Therefore, the continuation of the criminal proceedings against the petitioners will be an abuse of the legal process of law,” Justice Chandanagoudar observed.
Ragini was among the many celebrities from the Kannada film industry arrested in September 2020.
A case was registered against her at the Cottonpet police station based on a statement by a co-accused B K Ravishankar on September 4, 2020.
