KEY POINTS
- FIR alleges the coach lured the athlete to his hotel room and threatened to ruin her career.
- The assault allegedly took place on Dec 16 after competition at Delhi’s Shooting Academy.
- The case has raised serious concerns about athlete safety within Indian sports federations.
FARIDABAD, India: The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) on Wednesday suspended a national-level shooting coach after Haryana Police registered a case against him for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level shooter.
The incident is said to have occurred last month during a competition-related stay in Faridabad.
NRAI secretary general Pawan Kumar Singh confirmed the federation’s immediate internal action.
“Till the inquiry is completed, the coach has been suspended from all duties and will not be given any new assignment,” Singh stated, following the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).
Threats following Delhi competition
Haryana Police have booked the coach under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The FIR was registered on Tuesday at the Women’s Police Station in NIT Faridabad based on a detailed complaint from the athlete’s family.
According to the FIR accessed by HT, the alleged assault took place on December 16, after the minor athlete participated in a national-level competition at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Academy in New Delhi.
The complaint states that the coach asked the shooter to meet him in the lobby of a hotel in Surajkund, Faridabad, ostensibly to analyse her performance.
The family alleges that the athlete was initially told to wait in the lobby but was later pressured to go to the coach’s room for a more “focused discussion.”
Inside the room, the coach allegedly sexually assaulted her despite her resistance.
The FIR further states that the coach threatened to ruin her career and harm her family if she disclosed the incident. The athlete reportedly left the hotel in fear and later informed her family.
Safeguarding concerns in Indian sport
The case has cast a spotlight on the safety and protection of minor athletes within national sports federations. The NRAI’s suspension is a preliminary administrative step as legal proceedings begin with the Haryana Police investigation.
The federation now faces scrutiny over its safeguarding protocols for young athletes during national camps and competitions.
