Chandigarh/Faridabad, Jan 8: A case has been registered against national shooting coach Ankush Bharadwaj after a minor athlete accused him of sexual harassment following a national-level competition, Haryana Police officials said on Thursday.
The FIR, lodged at the Women Police Station in NIT Faridabad, states that the alleged incident occurred on December 16, 2025, after the 17-year-old shooter competed at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in South Delhi.
According to the complaint, Bharadwaj asked the athlete to meet him at a hotel in the Surajkund area, citing the need to analyse her performance. The FIR alleges that while the meeting was initially proposed in the hotel lobby, the coach later persuaded her to come to his room, where the alleged assault took place.
The survivor has also claimed that Bharadwaj threatened to damage her sports career and harm her family if she spoke about the incident.
Police registered the case under Section 6 of the POCSO Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita after the victim’s mother approached the authorities.
Faridabad Police PRO Yashpal Yadav said the investigation was being conducted with urgency. “The hotel administration has been directed to hand over CCTV footage, and teams have been deployed to collect all relevant evidence,” he said.
Senior officials said statements of hotel staff and other potential witnesses are being recorded, while efforts are being made to preserve electronic and forensic evidence. The accused coach is likely to be questioned in the coming days.
Reacting to the development, National Rifle Association of India secretary general Pawan Kumar Singh said the body came to know of the allegations through media reports and has suspended Bharadwaj from all duties until the inquiry is completed.
