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New Delhi: National shooting coach Ankush Bharadwaj has been booked by the Haryana Police for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old woman shooter at a hotel in Faridabad. The incident happened last month. He has been suspended by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) following the FIR.
On Tuesday, the police registered a case against him at the Women's Police Station, NIT Faridabad, under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Probe is underway.
As per the FIR, the alleged sexual assault occurred on December 16, a day after the athlete took part in a national-level shooting competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Academy in New Delhi.
Police said that the accused is one of the 13 national pistol coaches appointed by NRAI. He has been suspended after the allegations were levelled and FIR registered. "Got to know through media. Till inquiry is made coach Ankush is suspended from all duties, will not be given any new assignment," NRAI secretary general Pawan Kumar Singh reportedly said.
According to the complaint, the coach told the shooter to meet him at the lobby of a hotel in Surajkund, Faridabad, where he was putting up. The complaint further claims that the coach said the meeting with her was important to analyse her performance and discuss her shooting in detail.
The victim's family also alleged that the coach put pressure on the athlete to come to his room on the pretext that the discussion would be more focused there.
When the woman shooter went inside the room, the coach allegedly sexually assaulted the athlete. The complaint adds that the shooter put up stiff resistance but the coach did not stop. The complaint further alleges that the coach threatened to ruin her career and harm her family if she revealed the incident.
The incident left the athlete shocked. Later, she narrated her harrowing ordeal to her family, after which the complaint was filed by them. The athlete alleged that another female shooter had also faced similar behaviour from the same coach.
Police is making efforts to record statements from witnesses and secure CCTV footage. Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police, said: “Looking at the seriousness of the case, we have already asked the hotel administration to share all the CCTV camera footage of the day of the incident immediately to corroborate the allegations of the minor girl.”
