A senior national shooting coach, Ankush Bharadwaj, has been booked by Haryana Police for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level female shooter inside a hotel room in Faridabad last month.

According to the FIR, the athlete was reportedly lured to the hotel on the pretext of performance evaluation during a national competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi and then allegedly sexually assaulted and threatened to ruin her sporting career and harm her family if she spoke up.

The coach among the 13 national pistol coaches appointed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has been suspended from all coaching duties pending investigation, which includes CCTV analysis, witness statements and collection of forensic evidence. Police and sports officials have reiterated that the inquiry remains ongoing.

Alleged Assault Under Performance Review Pretext

The detailed complaint, filed by the athlete’s family, alleges that the incident took place on 16 December 2025, shortly after the teenager participated in a national-level shooting competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tughlakabad, South Delhi.

According to the FIR registered at the Women’s Police Station, NIT Faridabad, the coach allegedly asked the shooter to meet him in the lobby of a hotel where he was staying in Surajkund, Faridabad on the pretext of analysing her performance and offering professional feedback.

Once at the hotel, the complaint states the coach pressured her to go to his room for a more “focused discussion”. Once inside, she was allegedly sexually assaulted despite resisting. The FIR also claims that the coach threatened to destroy her career and harm her family if she disclosed the alleged assault to anyone.

The athlete reportedly left the scene in a state of shock and later confided in her mother, who accompanied her to file a police complaint. The family’s decision to report the incident has triggered a wider discussion about athlete safety, especially the vulnerability of minors under the authority of senior mentors and coaches.

Legal Action & Police Probe

Following the complaint, Haryana Police registered an FIR on 6 January under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which deals with aggravated penetrative sexual assault, and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (criminal intimidation), since the athlete was a minor at the time of the alleged offence.

Police spokespeople have emphasised several key investigative steps:

• Teams have been assigned to collect electronic and forensic evidence, including CCTV footage from the hotel and surrounding areas.
• Call records, travel logs, and witness statements particularly from hotel staff and others present on the day are being recorded.
• The accused coach has not been detained yet, according to police, but is expected to be questioned as part of the ongoing probe.

Faridabad Police Public Relations Officer Yashpal Yadav said, “Given the seriousness of the matter, we have asked the hotel administration to immediately share footage from all CCTV cameras for the day of the incident to evaluate the minor’s allegations.”

An SHO at the Women’s Police Station, Maya Kumari, noted that further details cannot be disclosed publicly at this stage due to the sensitivity of the case and the fact that the accused has not been arrested yet.

Suspension and Federation Response

Following news of the FIR, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) moved quickly to suspend Ankush Bharadwaj from all coaching duties, stating he would not be associated with any new assignments until the inquiry is complete. NRAI Secretary General Pawan Kumar Singh confirmed that the suspension was implemented as a precautionary measure and pending full investigation.

NRAI Secretary Rajiv Bhatia also reiterated that a show-cause notice will be issued to the coach and that he must prove his innocence before being considered for reinstatement. He noted that Bhardwaj was recommended by the federation and appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to the national coaching panel following the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Bharadwaj, a former pistol shooter and a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, also runs a private shooting academy. During his competitive career, he served a doping ban in 2010, a detail that has resurfaced in recent reporting as part of his sporting background.

Media reports also note that the FIR includes allegations that another female shooter may have faced similar misconduct by the same coach, a matter now flagged for separate investigation.

Athlete Safety and Accountability

This case has sparked serious concern within India’s sporting ecosystem, particularly around safeguarding mechanisms for young athletes, accountability structures in coaching hierarchies, and the power imbalance between coaches and trainees.

Senior sports professionals and athlete welfare advocates have pointed out that such allegations especially when they involve minors expose gaps in protective frameworks that should ideally prevent such interactions outside supervised environments.

Legal experts and child rights activists have noted that POCSO Act provisions allow for stringent punishment if the allegations are proven, and that preserving evidence such as CCTV footage, digital communication, and contemporaneous witness testimony will be critical in the investigation.

Sports psychologists and former athletes are urging sports federations across disciplines to introduce clearer codes of conduct, mandatory reporting channels, and independent oversight bodies that can intervene quickly in cases of abuse particularly where there is a significant power differential.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

At The Logical Indian, we recognise that sport should be a source of empowerment, resilience, and opportunity not fear, exploitation, or trauma. The allegations in this case, if proven, reflect a systemic breach of trust between a mentor and a minor athlete.

While every individual is entitled to legal due process, the voices of survivors especially children and young adults must be met with compassion, transparent investigation, and accountability. Institutions like the NRAI and SAI must not only enforce disciplinary action but also strengthen safeguarding protocols, grievance redressal mechanisms, and independent oversight.