Sexual harassment case: Shooting coach Ankush Bhardwaj absconding, police launch multi-state manhunt
PTC Web Desk: Days after being booked for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level woman shooter from Haryana, shooting coach Ankush Bhardwaj continues to evade arrest. The police have formed multiple teams to trace his whereabouts.
As per a report in HT, police officials say Bhardwaj has been on the run since the case was registered earlier this week. Teams from the crime branch and the women police station are conducting raids at various locations, while a separate police unit has been deployed in Mohali, Punjab, where the accused is believed to have links.
“Three police teams are actively working on the case. The accused is absconding, but raids are underway and he will be arrested soon,” Faridabad police spokesperson Yashpal Yadav was quoted as saying.
On the other hand, the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has suspended Ankush Bhardwaj, a national-level shooting coach, from all responsibilities with immediate effect. The sports body said the action was taken soon after the allegations came to light.
According to the FIR registered on January 6 at the Women Police Station in NIT Faridabad, the alleged incident took place on December 16 following a national-level shooting competition held at Dr Karni Singh Shooting Academy in New Delhi.
The complaint states that the coach called the minor athlete to meet him at a hotel in Surajkund, Faridabad, on the pretext of reviewing her performance. The victim’s family alleged that she was later coerced into going to his room, where she was sexually harassed despite resisting. The FIR also mentions that the accused allegedly threatened to ruin her sports career and harm her family if she reported the incident.
Rajiv Bhatia, secretary of the NRAI, said the accused was removed from his role as coach of the national junior shooting team and that the matter has been referred to the association’s internal complaints committee.
Meanwhile, the Haryana State Women Commission has also sought a detailed report from the Faridabad Police Commissioner. Commission chairperson Renu Bhatia, in a letter, stressed that the case requires sensitive handling and called for the appointment of a dedicated officer to oversee the investigation and submit regular status updates.
An FIR has been registered against Ankush Bhardwaj, a resident of Mohali, under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (criminal intimidation).
- With inputs from agencies
