Sexual assault case: Court rejects bail plea of shooting coach Bhardwaj

The court of Faridabad's Additional District and Sessions Judge Abhishek Phutela has rejected the anticipatory bail plea of shooting coach Ankush Bhardwaj, who is absconding, in connection with the alleged sexual assault of a minor shooter at a hotel in Faridabad, the police said.

Faridabad police had booked national shooting coach Bharadwaj over allegations of sexually harassing a 17-year-old national-level shooter. An FIR was registered at the women's police station, NIT Faridabad on January 6. After this, the coach was suspended by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI), they added.

According to the complaint, the incident took place on December 16, 2025, during a national-level shooting event at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Ranges in south Delhi. The victim came in touch with Bhardwaj, Indian shooting team's coach, in August 2025.

The victim alleged in her complaint that the coach initially requested her to meet him in the hotel lobby in the Surajkund area of Faridabad to analyse her match performance. However, upon her arrival, he allegedly invited her to his hotel room and sexually assaulted her, said the police.

She added that the coach allegedly threatened to sabotage her sporting career and harm her family if she disclosed the incident. She kept mum for many days and finally on January 6, she mustered up the courage to tell her mother about the alleged incident and she took her to the police station.

An FIR was registered against Bhardwaj, a resident of Mohali in Punjab, under Sections 6 of POCSO Act and Section 351(2) of the BNS, said the police.

The Faridabad police formed three special teams to nab the accused but were not been able to arrest him.

"The anticipatory bail of the accused Ankush Bhardwaj has been rejected by the court. Our teams are on job and hope the accused will be arrested soon," said a senior police officer of Faridabad police.