National Archery Coach Kuldeep Vedwan Gets 5-Year Jail Term In POCSO Case For Sexual Harassment Of Minor Athlete

A Fast Track Special Court in Haryana’s Sonipat on Wednesday sentenced archery coach Kuldeep Vedwan to five years of rigorous imprisonment in a sexual harassment case involving a minor national-level female archer.

The court found him guilty under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and also imposed a fine of ₹15,000.

The court convicted Vedwan under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, awarding five years under Section 10 and three years under Section 12. Both sentences will run concurrently.

The case stems from allegations made in April 2023, when a minor national-level archer accused Vedwan of entering her hotel room around 4 am during youth championship trials at the Sports Authority of India centre in Sonipat.

She alleged he made inappropriate physical advances and that she struggled for nearly 15–20 minutes before escaping to another room occupied by fellow women athletes.

She further alleged repeated pressure from the coach during later tournaments, including claims that he asked her to stay in his room and promised to make her a “big player” if she cooperated.

After informing her family, the matter was escalated to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, which conducted an internal inquiry and advised them to approach police in Sonipat.

A case was subsequently registered in August 2023 under IPC Section 354A along with relevant provisions of the POCSO Act.

Vedwan was arrested later in 2023 and remained in custody before being granted bail ahead of the Paris Paralympics in 2024. During his absence, his wife Abhilasha Chaudhary took over as India’s para archery coach.

Kuldeep Vedwan's Para Archery Coaching Career

A former national-level archer and ex-Army personnel, Vedwan had built a strong profile in para archery circles. He served as India’s coach at the 2018 Asian Para Games and continued through the Tokyo Paralympics, where Harvinder Singh secured India’s first Paralympic medal in archery.

His career later came under scrutiny following the allegations, despite earlier recognition and his application for the Dronacharya Award. Vedwan was also known for mentoring armless para archer Sheetal Devi, helping her develop a unique technique using her feet, shoulder and chin.

Under his guidance, she won gold at the 2023 Asian Para Games and became world champion in 2025, becoming the first female armless archer to achieve the feat.

In 2019, he identified quadruple amputee archer Payal Nag through a social media post and brought her to train at his academy in Katra under the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Sports Complex. Payal recently defeated world No. 1 Sheetal Devi in the final of the World Archery Para Series in Bangkok.