The Indian sports community is in shock following the suspension of the country’s national shooting coach, who is a gold medalist in the Commonwealth Games, after he is accused of mugging a 17-year-old shooter as a performance analysis in a luxurious hotel. His name is 38-year-old Ankush Bharadwaj.
A well-known name in Indian pistol shooting, Bharadwaj is now facing very serious charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The Pretext: A Hotel Call For ‘Analysis’
According to the police complaint, this incident took place on December 16, after a national-level shooting event at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in the capital, Delhi. The woman, who has been training with Bharadwaj for the last year, claimed in her complaint that the trainer asked her to meet him later to discuss her performance.
Later that night, Bharadwaj is alleged to have summoned this minor to his room at a five-star hotel in Faridabad. According to the aggrieved woman, she was lured to this location for a professional evaluation of her firing practice.
Horrific Accounts From The Attack
However, the statement from the teenager portrays a very frightening experience in the hotel room. The teenager claimed that Bharadwaj first asked to “crack her back,” which she refused.
The Allegation: He allegedly ignored her lack of interest, pushed her onto the bed, and committed sexual assault.
The Threat: While the woman resisted and pushed him away, he allegedly threatened to “destroy her career” if she spoke out, telling her to “act normally” with him.
Disclosure: In a traumatised and sleep-deprived state, the survivor finally told her mother about the coach’s alleged misconduct after she scolded her for “not listening” to what the coach had to say—a story that the coach, according to Bharadwaj, had been manipulating the parents with.
Who is Ankush Bharadwaj
Bharadwaj has had a tempestuous career in the Indian sports sector:
Early Success: He won gold in the 50m pistol event at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.
Doping Ban: In 2010, he was banned by the Sports Authority of India for testing positive for beta-blockers, although this was denied and referred to a headache pill.
Role in Coaching: He was one of the 13 pistol national coaches selected by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) at the time of the incident and owned the Salvo Shooting Range in Mohali.
Personal Life: Ravindra is married to Olympian shooter Anjum Moudgil.
Legal Action and Suspension from NRAI
Haryana Police have also registered an FIR under Section 6 of the POCSO Act (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) and various other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal intimidation.
NRAI Secretary General Pawan Singh has confirmed that Bharadwaj has been suspended pending the result of a high-level inquiry. “We have zero tolerance for such behavior. The coach stands suspended immediately,” said Singh.
A Family Demands Justice and Privacy
Since the parents of the survivor have given a press statement, expressing deep trauma, and calling for an investigation into whether anyone else had been assaulted. “Our daughter is undergoing counseling presently. We do not want anyone to suffer this way. We put our faith in the Haryana police and hope they will cooperate because he is living and working in Punjab,” the family said in its statement.
