National shooting coach suspended amid probe into sexual assault allegations

“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.