Ankush Bhardwaj, accused of sexually assaulting a minor, was once considered a promising youngster in Indian shooting. He won many medals on the international stage. In 2008, at the age of 18, he became famous in the world of shooting when he won the gold medal in the 50 meter pistol event at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune. He was expected to be selected for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games. His respect had further increased due to his medals in Youth Games and excellent performance in domestic competitions. However, a few months before the Games, he was suspended after failing a dope test. Bhardwaj tested positive for beta blockers during a junior international competition in Suhl, Germany – these are considered performance enhancers as they help shooters stabilize their hands and reduce tremors. Bhardwaj, in his defence, said that he had taken medicine for a headache. Now Ankush Bhardwaj has been suspended by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) after a minor shooter accused him of sexual harassment. NRAI has confirmed that an FIR has been registered against Bhardwaj in Faridabad. Bhardwaj, a resident of Mohali, has been booked under Section 6 of the POCSO Act (aggravated sexual harassment) and Section 351(2) of the Indian Justice Code (related to giving intimidation). “NRAI has suspended him and we will issue him a show cause notice,” NRAI secretary Rajeev Bhatia told PTI. “He has been suspended on moral grounds. Now he will have to prove himself innocent. He will not be associated with any kind of coaching activity till the investigation is completed.
Bhatia said that NRAI had recommended Bhardwaj’s place in the 37-member coaching team after the Paris Olympics in 2024. He said, “It was on the recommendation of NRAI that Sports Authority of India (SAI) appointed him as coach. This is an incident of sexual harassment that happened in Surajkund.
Meanwhile, the Sports Ministry, taking cognizance of the alleged crime, said, “All stakeholders must ensure that young players who rely on coaches and related systems do not have to face such situations.”
According to the FIR lodged by the victim, the incident took place after a practice session at the Karni Singh range last month.
The young shooter, who has been training with Bhardwaj since August last year, said she was shocked by the incident and after repeated inquiries, she informed her mother on January 1.
In her FIR, the 17-year-old player has alleged that Bhardwaj used to call her for training at places like Mohali, Patiala, Dehradun and Delhi, but she would always return home on the same day.
The victim said that on the day of the incident, she had gone alone to Karni Singh Range by taxi to participate in the national championship.
She told that when she was going home after the competition ended, the coach asked her to stop to analyze her performance.
This young player told in his complaint that the coach first asked him to meet him in the lobby of a hotel in Surajkund area of Faridabad. But upon reaching there, the coach allegedly forced him to come to his room and said that there was a need to have a more in-depth discussion regarding his performance. The victim player said, “The coach asked me to come to the lift area. When I went to the lift area, the coach told me that he has booked a room here, so come to my room. I will talk to you about the game there.” He said, referring to the physiotherapy technique, ”He took me to a room on the third floor and discussed about the match. After some time, I told sir that I wanted to go home, but he told me that he would give me a back bone chatka (a kind of exercise).
The victim said in the FIR, “I immediately refused, but despite this, Sir forced me to lie down on my stomach and sexually assaulted me.” When I protested, they threatened me.”
He said, “The coach threatened me not to tell anyone about this incident otherwise he would ruin my professional career. After this incident I became very scared and did not tell anything to anyone.
This player told that after seeing the change in his behavior after the incident, when his mother repeatedly asked him, he finally told everything.
