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National shooting coach suspended after athlete accuses him of sexual assault
The complaint states that the coach asked the shooter to meet him in the lobby of a hotel in Faridabad, where he was staying, to analyse her performance
The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) late 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 during a competition-related stay in Faridabad last month.
“Till the inquiry is completed, the coach has been suspended from all duties and will not be given any new assignment,” NRAI secretary general Pawan Kumar Singh said, confirming that the federation has initiated internal action following the registration of a first information report (FIR).
Haryana Police have booked the coach on charges of sexual assault based on a detailed complaint filed by the athlete’s family. Police said the victim was a minor at the time of the alleged offence. An FIR was registered on Tuesday at the Women’s Police Station, NIT Faridabad, under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to the FIR, the alleged incident took place on December 16 after the athlete participated in a national-level shooting 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, where he was staying, to analyse her performance.
Also Read: Coach sexually assaulted national-level shooter, threatened to ruin career: FIR in Faridabad
The family alleged that although the athlete was initially told to remain in the lobby, she was later pressured to go to the coach’s room under the pretext of a more focused discussion, police said. Inside the room, the coach allegedly sexually assaulted her despite resistance, the FIR states. The complaint further alleges that the coach threatened to ruin her career and harm her family if she disclosed the incident. The athlete reportedly left the hotel in a state of shock and later informed her family.
HT has accessed the copy of the FIR.
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