National Coach Suspended Following Sexual Assault Complaint by 17-Year-Old Shooter

National shooting coach Ankush Bharadwaj has been booked by the Haryana Police for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level female shooter at a hotel in Faridabad, officials said on Wednesday.

The case was registered following a detailed complaint filed by the athlete’s family. An FIR was lodged on Tuesday, and police have launched an investigation, including efforts to record witness statements and obtain CCTV footage from the hotel.

According to the FIR, the alleged incident occurred during a national-level shooting competition held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi. The complaint stated that Bharadwaj allegedly assaulted the minor in a hotel room in Faridabad under the pretext of evaluating her performance.

Police have registered the case at the Women’s Police Station, NIT Faridabad, under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

“Considering the seriousness of the allegations, we have directed the hotel management to immediately provide all CCTV footage from the day of the incident to corroborate the complaint,” Yashpal Yadav, Public Relations Officer of the Faridabad Police, said.

Bharadwaj is among the 13 national pistol coaches appointed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). Following the allegations, the NRAI has suspended him from all duties. “We came to know about the matter through media reports. Until the inquiry is completed, coach Ankush has been suspended from all responsibilities and will not be assigned any new duties,” NRAI Secretary General Pawan Kumar Singh said.

The FIR further alleged that the athlete was initially asked to meet the coach in the hotel lobby but was later pressured to go to his room for a performance evaluation. It also claimed that the coach threatened to ruin her career and harm her family if she disclosed the incident.

The athlete reportedly left the hotel in a state of shock and later informed her family, following which a formal complaint was filed. The complaint also mentioned that another female shooter may have faced similar behaviour from the same coach, police said.