n August 2015, a viral Facebook post about an alleged molestation incident in Delhi made Sarvjeet Singh a ‘criminal’. An on-road altercation with a female student was turned into a case of molestation & harassment. Some media channels branded him a ‘pervert’.
“Even people from our family started suspecting me. My aunt once called me and angrily asked if I misbehave with girls. People will obviously get suspicious. You can’t blame them,” said the 28-year-old. A case was filed against him for criminal intimidation, sexual harassment and for insulting the modesty of a woman.
Sarvjeet alleges that the complainant never took part in any of the court’s proceedings. “There have been 13 hearings in the case till now but the girl (complainant) never appeared in the court. It was always her father and her lawyer who were present,” he said.
He feels that the incident turned into a case of a media trial. The reporter who then ‘broke’ the story later wrote to him and apologised for tarnishing his image. “When something breaks out, every media channel tries to cover it. The more people watch it, the more TRPs it will get. Media outlets should first try to verify what is the truth behind it.” he said.
Three years on, Sarvjeet, who is a trained graphic designer, is still fighting to get rid of his criminal tag. “The tag is still there. I am still a ‘criminal’ and a ‘pervert’. The court has to clear the charges against me. I have faced a lot. My father suffered a heart attack during the trial. I lost my job. I was reinstated later but there was a feeling of distrust. I ultimately had to quit the job since I wasn’t comfortable there,” he said
He now wants to forget his past and start afresh. “The girl has been staying abroad for the past three years. She is busy making her career. But for me, these three years have been wasted. I was supposed to set my things right but at this age, I am still dependent on my parents. It is shameful that I have to bank on them at this age,” he said.
Saravjeet also claimed that during the last hearing, the judge said that she would issue a bailable warrant against the complainant if she doesn’t show up in the next hearing. She, however, denied his allegations while speaking exclusively to The Quint.
Meanwhile, InUth spoke to her lawyer Ravinder Ruhil, who confirmed that the complainant stands by all her claims and wishes to pursue the case. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for December.
