National shooting coach booked under POCSO for ‘sexually assaulting’ minor training under him

The Faridabad police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against a national shooting coach in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor shooter.

The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) suspended the accused late Wednesday.

According to police, an FIR was registered on January 6 in Faridabad, under section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which pertains to aggravated penetrative sexual assault, and section 351(2) of the BNS, which deals with criminal intimidation.

Police sources said the FIR recorded the complainant as stating that the alleged incident occurred on December 16, after she participated in a national competition.

The sources said that the minor had been training under the accused, who was part of the national coaching setup, since August last year.

The complainant alleged that after her event ended, the coach asked her to wait to discuss her performance.

Later, via WhatsApp call, he allegedly directed her to the lobby of a hotel where he was staying, the complaint said. She alleged that she initially sat in the lobby analysing her match, but was then called to his third-floor room, purportedly for a detailed discussion.

Sources said based on the complaint that at the room, the coach allegedly forcibly touched her inappropriately and committed sexual assault despite her resistance.

He allegedly threatened to ruin her shooting career if she disclosed the matter to anyone, per the complaint. The coach then dropped her near her vehicle around 4 pm and instructed her to behave normally, she said in the complaint.

Traumatised and fearful, the girl did not immediately report the incident, the complaint said.

The accused continued communicating with her and her parents about training, allegedly even complaining to them that she was not properly listening to him, the complaint said, as per police sources.

Noticing changes in her behaviour, including loss of sleep and stress, her mother repeatedly asked her what the matter was, sources said.

On the morning of January 6, the girl confided in her mother, who accompanied her to file the complaint after meeting senior police officers, following which a case was registered.

NRAI General Secretary Rajiv Bhatia told The Indian Express that the accused was suspended as soon as the body came to know about the FIR. “The FIR is of January 6, and NRAI Secretary General Pawan Singh suspended the coach immediately. We have issued a show-cause notice to the coach, and the rest of the matter will be taken forward as per law. We are not engaging the coach for any coaching activity at present, and he is out of the NRAI coaching setup with immediate effect,” Bhatia said.

“The incident happened at a private hotel, and it was not during the national championship or at the range. In this case, it is very clear that the coach or shooter was not present at the range at the time of the incident. The shooter told her parents 10-15 days post that. The incident happened on December 16, and the FIR was filed on January 6. We will not tolerate such things, and we have an internal committee on such cases,” Bhatia said.

NRAI Secretary General Pawan Singh said the association had not yet received an official complaint regarding the matter. “We got the FIR copy through the media, and on that basis, we have suspended the coach and have issued a showcase notice to the coach for his explanation. Our Internal Complaints Committee has been apprised of the issue, and we have told them to take due action. About the alleged incident happening at a private hotel, such incidents, if found true, are wrong and the NRAI is very strict on such kind of incidents,” he told The India Express.

“We educate shooters regarding the athletes’ and coaches’ rights under the POSCO Act, and last year, NRAI conducted classes with the shooters and coaches, and they also form part of the terms and conditions of shooters and coaches that come under NRAI. The coach has not replied yet. It is a shocking development, and we are waiting for all the legalities to be done by the concerned authorities,” said Singh.

Inspector Maya, Station House Officer of the police station where the FIR was lodged, said, “We have filed the FIR and will be taking the required action. We will be collecting evidence and doing the proceedings as per the law.”

A Faridabad police spokesperson said the investigation is on, including obtaining CCTV footage from the hotel and recording witness statements.

The accused, a former pistol shooter, runs a shooting academy at Mohali. He did not respond to The Indian Express’s attempts to reach out to him for comment.