In the middle of the CIL Hockey India League, India captain Sardar Singh has been accused of sexual harassment by a British hockey player and his old-time fiancee Ashpal Kaur Bhogal. Sardar is representing Jaypee Punjab Warriors in Hockey India League and he seemed distracted in the match against UP Wizards on February 4 that Punjab lost 0-3. A few hours before the match, Sardar faced media reporters on his version of the controversial romance story that has been chasing him for the last couple of days. Sardar said with finality that he was intently focused on hockey and any doubts on his preparedness for his team JPW, were figments of media’s hyper imagination. Against UP Wizards, however, not only Sardar, but the entire Punjab Warriors team looked off-color and lost the game on Thursday.
What went wrong with Sardar Singh? It is question not just for Sardar Singh but for all his die-hard fans in India and abroad. Two days before the JPW-UP Wizards match, Ashpal Kaur Bhogal filed a written complaint with Ludhiana police on February 2, 2016 that Sardar had abused her sexually. Bhogal made shocking allegations against Sardar Singh on their romantic relationship. She said that they were engaged in 2012 and postponed their marriage in preference to their hockey careers. However, Bhogal claimed that their intimate relationship led to her becoming pregnant in 2015. She alleged that Sardar forced her to abort the child, which she did against her will. In her complaint, the 21-year old Bhogal told Ludhiana Police that she met Sardar during the 2012 London Olympics that they got close. She further added that Sardar tortured her mentally, physically and emotionally and she had come to India to file the police complaint on the advice of her parents.
However, Sardar Singh has told media that the charges of sexual harassment are based on Bhogal’s faulty imaginations. He admitted about knowing her but said that they were never engaged. Sardar was enraged that such allegations put him and his career in bad light and he would respond at a right time with a legal action of his own. He didn’t want the baseless charges to interfere with his current duties as captain of Jaypee Punjab Warriors. Sardar denied that despite Ashapal Kaur visited his house, they were not engaged as claimed by her.
It is known to many people that Sardar Singh came in contact with Ashpal Kaur Bhogal during 2012 London Olympics and fell in love with each other. The couple was seen together in India and abroad after that. As per Bhogal, Sardar proposed to her during the 2014 World Cup in Hague. After that, she traveled to Punjab to meet Sardar’s parents and relatives. If Bhogal’s complaint is right, Sardar’s family agreed about their engagement and marriage. Nothing went wrong until 2015, when Bhogal informed Sardar that she was pregnant with his child. As per Bhogal, Sardar didn’t want the child and asked her to go for immediate abortion. Bhogal aborted the child against her wishes and their relationship turned sour. With Sardar diverting his attention away from Bhogal, she might have been compelled to take the drastic action. In any case, until the truth comes out, Sardar and Bhogal will be psychologically pressured. For Sardar, it is more difficult because he is the captain of the India team that is going to Rio for a purpose.
In the meanwhile, Bhogal has rubbished Sardar’s claim that he never exploited her on the pretext of marriage. She said that she had the evidence to prove that Sardar was lying and putting himself in huge trouble by denying her claims. She added further that she had the proof in support of her complaint.