The public prosecutor for the Union Territory of Chandigarh in the molestation case filed by a former woman junior coach against Haryana ex-minister Sandeep Singh on Saturday moved an application before a local court seeking an amendment to charges for the inclusion of attempt to rape.The counsel sought the addition of Section 376 (attempt to rape; read with Section 511) of the Indian Penal Code. The public prosecutor also urged the court to shift the case to a sessions court since it had “exclusivity for the trial of the offence”.Same plea by victim was rejected by courtThe Chandigarh court had earlier rejected the victim’s plea to add attempt to rape chargeThe court had passed the order rejecting the plea in Jan 2024The former coach has alleged that she was molested by ex-minister Sandeep Singh at his residence in ChandigarhThe application is significant as it stated that the material already on judicial record, including the victim’s statement under Section 164 of the CrPC and her examination before the court, “contained clear, consistent and serious allegations against the accused”. “These facts satisfy the ingredients of attempt to rape charge under the IPC. The omission of this section, despite the victim’s testimony, constitutes a legal oversight that must be rectified to ensure the accused is tried for the full gravity of the alleged offence,” as per the application.According to the law, attempt to rape under Section 376 (read with Section 511 of the IPC) is a serious offence. The public prosecutor further submitted that “amending the charges was essential to ensure a fair trial”. The Chandigarh Police had registered a case under Sections 354, 354-A, 354-B, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC against the former Haryana minister on December 31, 2022.In her complaint, the former coach alleged that Sandeep Singh molested her at his official residence in Chandigarh on July 1, 2022. She claimed that when she resisted, he pushed her and tore her T-shirt, but she managed to escape.At the previous hearing, the complainant reiterated her allegations and identified her clothes and mobile phone as evidence. The police had filed a chargesheet on August 25, 2023, and the court framed charges on July 29, 2024.Sandeep has denied the allegations, claiming he was falsely implicated in the case, and that the “complaint was filed after he rejected the former coach’s demands regarding training and posting”. Sandeep had won on the BJP ticket from Pehowa in 2019. The Hindi film ‘Soorma’ was based on his life. He was heading the sports, printing and stationery departments when the allegations were levelled against him.