Patiala, Oct. 3 -- A local court has issued notice to health minister Dr Balbir Singh, his son, and four party workers in connection with a sexual harassment complaint filed by a 41-year-old suspended AAP worker. The matter is listed to be heard on October 23. The minister has termed the allegations 'baseless' and unsubstantiated. Taking cognisance of the complaint filed on September 30, the court, in its order, clarified that the notices were issued under Section 223(1) of the BNSS, 2023, and should not be treated as summons. The BNSS section requires a magistrate to provide the accused with an opportunity to be heard before taking cognisance of the offence in a case of criminal complaint. The AAP suspended the woman on September 23 for "misusing her position to threaten a shopkeeper" in Patiala. She had also protested outside Tripuri police station, accusing cops of inaction against a shopkeeper, who, she alleged, deleted her mobile data. In her complaint, she alleged sexual harassment and claimed that she feared speaking out earlier as minister had threatened her. Dr Balbir Singh said, "These are totally baseless allegations. She herself has been saying that she levelled allegations after her suspension. This raises questions over her integrity. She hasn't visited my Patiala office for more than a year; therefore, these were uncorroborated allegations."...