Ankush Bharadwaj has been suspended from the National pistol shooting coach role on allegations of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old female national-level shooter last month in a hotel in Faridabad. A case has been registered against him under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhitan by the Women’s Police Station, NIT Faridabad.
On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the female athlete’s family filed a complaint against Bharadwaj at the Faridabad police station. The incident occurred during the national-level shooting competition held in December 2025 at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in New Delhi.
According to the FIR filed by the family, Bharadwaj had invited the female shooter to his hotel room to assess her performance, but instead, he sexually assaulted her. In addition to that, he also threatened to ruin her career in case she told anyone about the incident.
“I was scared, and I did not say anything to anyone… Ankush Bharadwaj Sir complained to my parents that I don’t listen to him. My mother scolded me, and I could not sleep at night. When my mother asked me why I was stressed, I told her everything, and she brought me to the police station,” the victim shared her statement to the police.
The matter is currently being investigated by the Haryana Police and is in the process of recording statements from the witnesses and collecting the CCTV footage of the hotel where the incident took place.
NRAI secretary general Pawan Kumar Singh, during an interview with NDTV, disclosed that Bharadwaj will remain under suspension and debarred from his role until further notice. He stated, “Got to know through the media. Till an inquiry is made, coach Ankush is suspended from all duties, will not be given any new assignment.”
Who is Ankush Bharadwaj?
A Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 50-metre pistol shooting event, Bharadwaj was among the 13 national pistol coaches who was appointed by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). In 2010, he was banned by the Sports Authority of India on a doping case after testing positive for beta blockers. As per reports, Bharadwaj took medicine for a mild headache and wasn’t aware of its aftereffects through test results.
However, he returned to competition in 2012 and went on to win more medals from international tournaments. Currently, Bharadwaj has been based in Mohali and runs the Salvo Shooting Range in Sector 86, which has several branches. He is married to two-time Olympian Anjum Moudgil.
(Inputs sourced from NDTV)
