National shooting coach accused Ankush Bharadwaj of raping minor athlete: ‘Called in hotel room to evaluate performance’

Haryana Police have registered a case against national shooting coach Ankush Bharadwaj for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level female shooter at a hotel in Faridabad, according to a report by NDTV.

According to the FIR, the alleged assault occurred during a national-level shooting competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi, with Bharadwaj allegedly luring the athlete to a hotel room in Faridabad under the pretext of evaluating her performance.

HT report noted, citing the complaint that when the athlete went inside the room, the coach allegedly assaulted her. HT noted that she tried to resist but the coach did not stop.

The FIR also claims that the coach threatened to destroy her career and harm her family if she reported the incident.

“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,” Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police, said, as reported by Hindustan Times.

Based on the complaint, police registered a case 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, as the athlete was a minor at the time of the alleged incident.

Following the complaint, Bharadwaj has been suspended from all duties, according to a report by Mathurabhumi.

The complaint also indicates that another female shooter may have been subjected to similar misconduct by the same coach, a claim that is now being investigated, the report noted.

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Childline India (24x7, Toll-Free): 1098 – a dedicated helpline for children in distress, including sexual abuse, exploitation, or trafficking.

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