The National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) has suspended a national-level shooting coach after Haryana Police registered a case against him for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old national-level shooter during a competition-related stay in Faridabad last month.
The suspension was announced late Wednesday, with the NRAI confirming that the coach has been relieved of all duties and will not be assigned any new responsibilities until the inquiry is completed. The federation has also initiated internal proceedings following the registration of the case.
Haryana Police said the coach has been booked on charges of sexual assault based on a detailed complaint filed by the athlete&rsquo;s family. Since the victim was a minor at the time of the alleged incident, the case has been registered under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, along with Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The FIR was lodged on Tuesday at the Women&rsquo;s Police Station in NIT Faridabad.
According to the police complaint, the incident allegedly occurred on December 16 after the shooter competed in a national-level event held at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Academy in New Delhi. The coach, who was staying at a hotel in Surajkund, Faridabad, allegedly asked the athlete to meet him in the hotel lobby to discuss and analyse her performance.
The family has alleged that while the shooter was initially asked to stay in the lobby, she was later pressured to go to the coach&rsquo;s room on the pretext of a more detailed discussion. Once inside, the coach allegedly sexually assaulted her despite her resistance. The complaint further states that the coach threatened to damage her sporting career and harm her family if she spoke about the incident.
The athlete reportedly managed to leave the hotel in a distressed state and later disclosed the incident to her family, following which a police complaint was filed.
Police said further investigation is underway, while the sports body has stated that it will cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities as the case progresses.

FIR under POCSO filed after national-level shooter’s complaint in Haryana

NRAI Suspends Coach in Minor Sexual Assault Case

FIR under POCSO filed after national-level shooter’s complaint in Haryana

January 8, 2026 | 12:02 IST