Archery Coach Kuldeep Vedwan sentenced to five years in prison in POCSO Case

A Fast Track Special Court in Sonipat has sentenced national-level archery coach Kuldeep Vedwan to five years of rigorous imprisonment in a sexual harassment case involving a minor female archer.

The court convicted Vedwan under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and also imposed a fine of ₹15,000. Along with the five-year sentence under Section 10 of the Act, the court awarded an additional three-year sentence under Section 12. Both sentences will run concurrently.

The case stemmed from an incident reported during Youth Championship trials held at a Sports Authority of India centre in Sonipat in April 2023. The athlete had travelled from Jammu and Kashmir, where she was training at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board Katra Stadium, an institution associated with Vedwan’s coaching foundation.

According to the complaint, the coach allegedly entered the athlete’s hotel room around 4 am on April 7 and made inappropriate physical advances. The athlete stated that she resisted for nearly 15 to 20 minutes before leaving the room and seeking shelter with other female players.

Complaint led to police investigation and court trial

The athlete further alleged that Vedwan later apologised and requested her not to disclose the incident, claiming it would destroy his career. She also accused him of repeatedly pressuring her during later hotel stays and promising to help her become a “big player” if she cooperated.

After the athlete informed her family, a complaint was submitted to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board. An internal inquiry committee reportedly advised the family to approach the police in Sonipat.

Police subsequently registered a case under IPC Section 354A and Sections 10 and 12 of the POCSO Act. The investigation was conducted by a woman police officer before the matter went to trial.

Vedwan, a former national-level archer and ex-Army personnel, later became a coach and established archery academies in multiple states, including Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmiri