New Delhi: The national shooting team coach, Ankush Bhardwaj, was suspended by the shooting federation on Thursday, January 8, after a minor shooter accused him of sexually assaulting her during the National Championships last month.
NRAI (National Rifle Association of India) confirmed that a first information report (FIR) has been filed against Bhardwaj in Faridabad.
Bhardwaj, a resident of Mohali, has been booked under Section 6 (aggravated sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“NRAI has suspended him and we will issue a show-cause notice,” NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia told PTI.
“He has been suspended on moral grounds. Now, he has to prove himself innocent. Till the inquiry is not completed, he will not be associated with any coaching activity,” he added.
Bhatia said NRAI had recommended Bhardwaj for a place in the 37-strong coaching team after the Paris Olympics in 2024. “It was on the recommendation of the NRAI that he was appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) as one of the coaches. It is a case of sexual harassment, which happened in Surajkund,” said Bhatia.
The Ministry of Sports, taking cognisance of the alleged crime, said, “All stakeholders have to share responsibility of ensuring that youngsters who place their faith in coaches and systems don’t have to go through something like this.”
The girl, who had been training with Bhardwaj since August last year, stated that she was left traumatised by the incident and spoke up in front of her mother on January 1 after being persistently probed.
According to the FIR filed by the victim, the incident took place on December 16, 2025, a day after the minor had competed in the National Championship at the Karni Singh Range.
In her FIR, the 17-year-old alleged that Bhardwaj used to call her for training at venues such as Mohali, Patiala, Dehradun and Delhi, but she would always return home the same day.
However, on the day of the incident, the victim said she went to the Karni Singh Range unaccompanied in a taxi to compete in the Nationals.
The girl said that when she was about to leave for home after finishing her competition, the coach asked her to stay back to analyse her performance.
The minor stated in her complaint that the coach first requested her to meet him at the lobby of a hotel in the Surajkund area of Faridabad. However, upon her arrival, he allegedly coerced her into coming up to his room, claiming a more focused discussion was required.
“The coach asked me to come to the elevator area. After that, when I went to the elevator area, coach sir told me that he had booked a room here, so come to my room. I will discuss the match with you there.
“He took me to a room on the third floor, and discussed the match. After some time, I said to sir that I wanted to go home, but he told me that he would crack my back,” she said, referring to a physiotherapy technique of post-competition recovery.
“I immediately refused. Then sir forcibly made me lie face down and sexually assaulted me and when I opposed, he threatened me,” the victim stated in the FIR.
“He threatened me not to disclose the incident or else he would sabotage my professional career. I got really scared after the incident and did not tell anyone,” she stated, adding that she eventually told her mother after she repeatedly asked her on noticing change in her demeanour following the incident.
A senior police officer said that a probe is underway.
Bhardwaj, a former pistol shooter, was served a doping ban in 2010 for the use of a beta-blocker during his competitive days. Beta-blockers are banned for athletes engaged in disciplines like shooting, archery and billiards as they help reduce heart rate, muscle tremors and anxiety.
According to reports, another woman shooter had allegedly faced a similar behaviour from the coach. Additionally, he had previously used women shooters’ accommodation and had made them uncomfortable, highlighting a repeated pattern.
As of now, the accused Bhardwaj has neither been held nor issued a notice.
The Faridabad Police have taken serious note of the incident and have launched a probe, scouring the hotel room where the assault happened.
“Looking at the seriousness of the case, we have already asked the hotel administration to share all the closed circuit television (CCTV) camera footage of the day of the incident immediately to corroborate the allegations of the minor girl,” Yashpal Yadav, Public Relations Officer of Faridabad Police, told Hindustan Times.
Yadav added that legal procedures will be enforced to obtain a medical examination of the victim, along with her statement, which will be recorded before a judicial magistrate.
(With PTI inputs)
