National coach Ankush Bhardwaj accused in Faridabad sexual assault case:Victim alleges assault and threats; accused absconding, police hunt underway

Nationwide coach Ankush Bhardwaj, accused of sexual exploitation of a minor shooter, is at present absconding. -File photograph

The troubles for Nationwide Coach Ankush Bhardwaj, accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old nationwide shooter in Faridabad, seem like mounting. Early investigations have uncovered robust proof towards the coach. Ladies’s Police Station In-charge Maya said that the sufferer’s criticism, the scene of the incident, and the timeline all match. The connections between the shooter and the accused coach additionally corroborate the allegations.

Police examined CCTV footage from a five-star lodge in Surajkund, Faridabad, confirming the shooter’s arrival. The cell places of each the accused coach and the sufferer additionally corresponded, displaying that each have been on the similar places throughout the lodge. Resort employees have been questioned as a part of the investigation. Because the FIR was registered at NIT Ladies’s Police Station on 6 January, Ankush Bhardwaj has been absconding. 5 police groups have been shaped to find and arrest him.

Capturing competitors on 16 December

In accordance with the sufferer, on 16 December, a Nationwide Degree Capturing Competitors passed off at Dr. Karni Singh Capturing Vary in Delhi. Her match lasted from 10:30 AM to 11:45 AM. Throughout this time, the coach requested her to remain on the vary for a dialogue about her efficiency. She remained there till 2 PM.

Invited to lodge beneath pretext of match evaluation

The sufferer said that the coach later referred to as her to a five-star lodge in Surajkund, Faridabad, claiming they might analyse her match and take notes. CCTV footage confirms her arrival on the lodge foyer. The coach then instructed her to maneuver to the carry space, which was additionally captured on CCTV.

Incident within the lodge room

The minor shooter said that whereas seated within the room discussing the match, she expressed a want to depart. The coach allegedly stopped her beneath the pretext of cracking her again. When she refused, he forcibly laid her on the mattress and made obscene gestures, threatening to spoil her profession when she resisted.

The shooter said in her criticism that the coach requested her to sit down within the foyer, analyze the match, and write about it. (AI Generated Picture)

Coach drops sufferer off at automobile

After the assault, the coach reportedly instructed her to behave usually and later accompanied her to the automobile exterior the lodge round 4 PM. The sufferer then went on to her father’s workplace. Regardless of reaching house safely, she didn’t disclose the incident instantly resulting from worry. CCTV footage additionally reveals the coach on the automobile.

Makes an attempt to cowl tracks

Following the incident, the coach continued messaging the sufferer concerning capturing observe. He reportedly complained to her mother and father that “she was not listening” to him. Upon repeated questioning by her mom, the sufferer narrated the total story.

Shooter’s background and coach credentials

The shooter has been practising capturing since 2017, starting at round 9 years previous. She began coaching beneath Ankush Bhardwaj in July 2025, travelling for observe to Patiala, Mohali, and Dehradun. On the day of the incident, she went alone to Delhi’s capturing vary by private taxi.

Ankush Bhardwaj is a Nationwide coach and Gold Medalist, having gained gold on the Commonwealth Youth Video games 2008 and the Worldwide Capturing Championship in Hanover, 2016, together with a number of different achievements. Following the incident, the Nationwide Rifle Affiliation of India suspended him, pending the investigation.