National shooting coach booked for sexually assaulting athlete
FIR registered under POCSO Act; police investigation on
Faridabad police have booked national shooting coach Ankush Bharadwaj over allegations of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level shooter in Faridabad. An FIR has been registered at women police station, NIT. Bharadwaj has been suspended by the national federation. Sources said the accused coach has been rounded up, but Faridabad police denied this.
Meanwhile, the National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) confirmed that an FIR has been filed against Bhardwaj. "NRAI has suspended him and we will issue a show-cause notice," said NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia.
According to the complaint, the incident took place on December 16 in 2025.
The victim stated in her FIR that the coach coerced her to his room under the pretext of match analysis, then “forcibly made me lie face down on the bed and sexually assaulted me.” She said, “When I opposed he threatened me” and warned he would sabotage her career.
Bharadwaj, a resident of Mohali, Punjab, has been booked under Sections 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 351(2) of the BNS at Women police station, NIT, Faridabad.
“An FIR was registered and a probe is underway. We are conducting raids to nab the accused and he will be arrested soon”, said Yashpal Yadav, spokesperson of Faridabad police.
