National shooting coach suspended after sexual harassment allegation

January 8, 2026

Haryana : The POCSO Act (NRAI) suspended a national-level shooting coach late Wednesday night after Haryana police filed a case against him for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level female shooter. The incident reportedly occurred during a competition-related stay in Faridabad last month.

NRAI Secretary General Pawan Kumar Singh confirmed the action, saying, “The coach has been suspended from all responsibilities pending the completion of the investigation and will not be assigned any new assignments.” He added that the federation has also initiated an internal investigation following the filing of the FIR.

Case registered under the POCSO Act

Haryana Police have registered a case of sexual harassment against the coach based on a detailed complaint filed by the athlete’s family. According to the police, the victim was a minor at the time of the alleged incident.

An FIR was registered at the Women’s Police Station, NIT Faridabad, on Tuesday, alleging charges under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Police stated that the investigation into the case is ongoing.

Alleged Incident at Hotel During Competition

According to the FIR, the alleged incident occurred on December 16, when 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, under the pretext of analyzing her performance, asked the shooter to meet him in the lobby of the hotel in Surajkund, Faridabad, where she was staying. The family alleges that the athlete was initially asked to stay in the lobby, but was later pressured to go to the coach’s room on the pretext of a more “serious discussion.”

Threats also alleged

According to the FIR, the coach allegedly sexually assaulted the woman inside the room despite her protests. The complaint also alleges that he threatened to ruin her career and harm her family if she disclosed the incident.

It is reported that the victim left the hotel in a state of shock and later told her family what had happened, following which a police complaint was filed.