In a shocking incident from the world of Indian sports, a national shooting coach has been formally charged under the stringent Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The case stems from an alleged assault on a 17-year-old female shooter at a luxury hotel in Surajkund.
Details of the Alleged Assault
The incident reportedly took place on December 16, when the young athlete was in Delhi to participate in the national championships at the Tughlaqabad shooting range. The coach, identified as Ankush Bharadwaj, allegedly invited the trainee to his room at a five-star hotel under the pretext of having a "focused discussion" about her match performance.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Faridabad police, the situation escalated when the shooter was about to leave. The coach reportedly told her he wanted to "crack her back", citing it as a recovery technique. Upon her refusal, he allegedly pushed her onto the bed and sexually assaulted her.
Legal Action and Institutional Response
Based on the detailed complaint from the minor, the Women's Police Station in Faridabad's NIT area registered a case on Tuesday. The charges invoked are serious: Section 6 (penetrative sexual assault) of the POCSO Act and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) acted swiftly upon receiving a copy of the FIR. NRAI secretary general Pawan Singh confirmed that coach Ankush Bharadwaj has been suspended with immediate effect. The association has also issued him a show-cause notice and removed his name from all official assignments.
Inspector Maya, the investigating officer, stated that the coach, who hails from Mohali, has not been arrested yet as the investigation is ongoing.
Background of the Victim and Coach
The survivor is a 17-year-old first-year BBA student from a Union Territory and the only child of parents working in private companies in the Delhi-NCR region. Her parents had enrolled her for coaching under Ankush Bharadwaj in August last year.
In her complaint, she revealed that the coach had called her for training sessions at multiple locations, including Mohali, Patiala, Dehradun, and Delhi, prior to this incident. Ankush Bharadwaj was one of the 37 coaches appointed as a pistol coach by the NRAI after the conclusion of the Paris Olympics in 2024.
This case has sent ripples through the Indian sports community, raising urgent questions about the safety mechanisms and accountability for young athletes under the care of national federations. The NRAI has referred the matter to its internal complaints committee for further action as the police probe continues.
