Ankush Bhardwaj, a national shooting coach, has been suspended by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) after a minor female athlete accused him of sexual assault in Faridabad. An FIR was registered at the Women’s Police Station, NIT Faridabad, under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The incident reportedly occurred in December 2025, following a national-level shooting competition in New Delhi.
According to The Hindu, the NRAI confirmed Bhardwaj’s suspension and stated that he would not be involved in any coaching activities until the inquiry concludes. The FIR details that the alleged harassment took place after a training session, and the athlete disclosed the incident to her mother in early January 2026.
As reported by Deccan Herald, the complaint alleges that Bhardwaj called the athlete to his hotel room under the pretext of performance evaluation and then assaulted her. The FIR further claims that he threatened to ruin her career and harm her family if she spoke about the incident. Police have initiated an investigation and requested CCTV footage from the hotel to corroborate the allegations.
Details provided in recent coverage indicate that the athlete was initially asked to meet in the hotel lobby but was later pressured to go to the coach’s room. The athlete reportedly left the hotel in shock and informed her family, leading to the police complaint and subsequent FIR.
Police actions following the complaint include efforts to secure CCTV footage and record witness statements. The accused, one of 13 national pistol coaches, has not been detained or issued a notice as of the latest updates. The investigation is ongoing, and further action will depend on the findings.
"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," said Yashpal Yadav, public relations officer of Faridabad police.
Additional information from ongoing reporting notes that the athlete was a minor at the time of the alleged offence. The FIR also references a previous incident in Mohali, where the coach’s behaviour reportedly made other women shooters uncomfortable, though no formal complaint was filed in that instance.
Further developments as the investigation proceeds include legal procedures for the victim’s medical examination and statement before a judicial magistrate. The accused’s prior history includes a doping ban in 2010 for the use of a beta-blocker during his competitive shooting career.
"He has been suspended on moral grounds. Now, he has to prove himself innocent. Till the inquiry is not completed, he will not be associated with any coaching activity," stated NRAI secretary Rajiv Bhatia.
Efforts to corroborate the allegations include reviewing CCTV footage and recording statements from witnesses. The NRAI has stated that Bhardwaj will not be assigned any new duties until the inquiry is complete, and the sports federation is cooperating with the authorities.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.