Indian Express: ‘Fiancee’ goes to women’s panel against Sardar Singh

The complainant has alleged that she didn’t get any support from Hockey India or Sports Authority of India.

Accusing India hockey captain Sardar Singh of rape and criminal intimidation, a British national who claims to be his fiancée, on Tuesday filed a complaint at the Chanakyapuri police station with assistance from the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).

The 21-year-old complainant, who has been in India since June 10, approached the commission after a complaint she filed in Punjab in January, was not acted upon. DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal said that for five months the Punjab police had not filed an FIR on the complaint filed by the woman. She said that after the revision in laws after the December 16, 2012 gangrape, the police was bound by the law to register an FIR.

“There should be an FIR against the Punjab police under section 166 A for not filing an FIR in this case. The law has this provision. An FIR can be filed against the police if they fail to register an FIR when a woman alleges rape,” said Maliwal.

The complainant, also a hockey player, alleged that while she was in Delhi with Sardar in February 2014, he physically assaulted her, threatened her to push her off the top floor of the building and raped her in a five-star hotel room. Maliwal said that the complainant was intimidated by Sardar who had told her that she will not be able to file any complaint against him because he is a DSP in the Haryana Police and politically connected.
“I could not file any complaint because Sardar Singh made be believe that I will get no justice in India,” the British national said.

According to Maliwal, “The complainant alleged that she had also approached Hockey India through its President Narinder Batra. She alleged that she had forwarded the complaint to the advisor of Hockey India, Arun Jaitley. She even approached the Sports Authority of India. However, no action has been taken on her complaint till date.”Maliwal said that at this stage, the commission had recommended that an FIR be filed on the woman’s complaint.
The commission, she said, was not validating all her claims but insisting that the offence be registered and investigated by the Delhi police.

“Sardar Singh is the captain of the Indian hockey team. He represents the country internationally. Even if 50 percent of what the complainant says is true, he does not deserve to be in that place,” Maliwal said. The complainant said that she had also informed the UK police.

“He has not being rested (for Champions Trophy) . They fear that he will be arrested if he arrives in the UK,” she said. The DCW also issued a notice to Hockey India seeking an explanation for not heeding to the complaint filed by the British national. Batra said he was out of the country and would revert after returning. Sardar, meanwhile, could not be reached for comment.