National Shooting Coach Suspended After Teen Alleges Sexual Assault
Faridabad: A senior national shooting coach has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old trainee inside a hotel room, leading to his suspension and criminal charges under strict child protection laws.
Ankush Bharadwaj, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and national pistol coach, has been booked under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to criminal intimidation.
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has suspended him pending an internal inquiry.
Delhi Horror: Mob Brutally Beats Gym Owner, Molests Wife, And Strips Son Naked In Public
According to the police complaint, the teenage shooter said Bharadwaj called her to a five-star hotel in Faridabad on the pretext of analysing her performance after a national-level competition in Delhi.
The minor alleged that she was asked to come to the coach’s hotel room after waiting in the lobby.
The survivor told police that Bharadwaj offered to “crack her back” while she was sitting on a chair.
When she refused, he allegedly forced her onto the bed and sexually assaulted her. She said she resisted and managed to push him away.
The teenager further alleged that the coach threatened to ruin her shooting career if she spoke about the incident and asked her to behave normally around him.’
The 17-year-old, who has been training as a shooter since 2017 and began training under Bharadwaj last year, said she was traumatised and initially did not tell anyone about the incident.
6-Year-Old Girl Allegedly Raped And Thrown From Rooftop In UP
“I was scared and could not sleep at night,” she said in her statement. She added that Bharadwaj later complained to her parents that she did not listen to him, following which she broke down and told her mother everything. Her family then approached the police.
Ankush Bharadwaj won gold in the 50-metre pistol event at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games. In 2010, he was banned by the Sports Authority of India for doping after testing positive for beta blockers. He later made a comeback and won medals at international events.
Based in Mohali, Bharadwaj runs a private shooting academy with multiple branches and was among the 13 national pistol coaches appointed by the NRAI. He is married to Olympian Anjum Moudgil.
(With inputs from NDTV)
