A prominent member of India’s shooting coaching staff, Ankush Bhardwaj, has been suspended by the National Rifles Association of India (NRAI) after a minor shooter accused him of sexual assault during the National Championships last month.
The NRAI confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Bhardwaj in Faridabad. He has been booked under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which deals with aggravated sexual assault, and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to criminal intimidation.
“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. Till the inquiry is completed, he will not be associated with any coaching activity,” he added.
According to Bhatia, Bhardwaj was part of the 37-member coaching staff recommended by NRAI and appointed by the Sports Authority of India following the Paris Olympics in 2024.
The FIR states that the alleged incident took place last month during the National Championships at the Karni Singh Shooting Range. The 17-year-old shooter, who had been training under Bhardwaj since August last year, alleged that she was targeted when she travelled alone to compete in the event.
In her complaint, the minor said that after finishing her competition, the coach asked her to stay back to analyse her performance. She alleged that he later asked her to meet him at a hotel lobby in the Surajkund area of Faridabad and subsequently coerced her into entering his room under the pretext of a more focused discussion.
The victim alleged that when she tried to leave, the coach forcibly assaulted her and threatened to harm her professional career if she disclosed the incident. She said she remained silent out of fear and trauma and eventually told her mother on January 1 after repeated questioning about changes in her behaviour.
A senior police officer confirmed that an investigation is underway.
Bhardwaj, a former pistol shooter, had earlier served a doping ban in 2010 for using a beta-blocker, a substance prohibited in precision sports such as shooting.
FIR registered against national shooting coach Ankush Bhardwaj under POCSO Act and criminal intimidation charges
National Rifles Association of India suspends him pending inquiry
Minor shooter alleges sexual assault during National Championships in Faridabada
