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Archery coach gets 5-year jail for sexually assaulting molesting junior national player
A Sonepat POCSO court sentenced archery coach Kuldeep Kumar Vedwan to five years for molesting a junior player during trials in 2023.
A fast-track special Prevention of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) court in Sonepat sentenced an archery coach to five years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) for sexually harassing and molesting a junior national-level player along with a fine of ₹15,000.
The accused Kuldeep Kumar Vedwan, of Uttar Pradesh’s Baghpat district, was convicted on May 15.
The court of additional sessions judge Narendra sentenced the convict to five years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹10,000 under Section 10 of the POCSO Act, and to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of ₹5,000 under Section 12. He will undergo additional imprisonment in case of default in payment of the fine. The sentences will run concurrently.
When judicial sentences “run concurrently,” a convicted individual serves all their prison terms simultaneously, rather than one after the other.
Vedwan runs archery academies in several states including Uttar Pradesh, Puducherry, and Jammu and Kashmir.
The case dates back to 2023. According to the police investigation, the incident took place in April 2023, when the victim, a Haryana-based player had come to Sonepat for the trials of the Youth Championship organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The victim, who was 17 at that time, was staying in a hotel for the selection trials. On April 7, 2023, at around 4 am, the accused entered the girl’s room, made obscene advances and tried to force himself on her. She struggled for 15-20 minutes before managing to escape the room and went to another player’s room.
Investigators said the accused later apologised to her and pressured her to conceal the incident, saying it could ruin his career and life. He also asked her to stay in his room, promising to make her a big player, the probe reveals. The girl disclosed the incident to her family only after her selection in the Asia Cup in Singapore.Following an internal inquiry by Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, a complaint was filed at Murthal police station on August 18, 2023.
Special public prosecutor, Vijender Singh, said that soon after the registration of the first information report (FIR) in 2023, the accused was arrested and later released on bail in 2024.
Man sentenced to 20-years in jail for repeatedly raping minor
The court also imposed a fine of ₹56,500 on the accused. In case of non-payment of fine, he will have to undergo an additional six months of simple imprisonment.
The court of additional sessions judge Narendra convicted the accused under Section 6 of the POCSO Act along with various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Out of the total fine amount, ₹45,000 will be given to the victim as compensation for mental trauma.
According to probe, the accused, who worked as a labourer, took the minor girl to his house in Kharkhoda and sexually assaulted her multiple times. He also threatened her to remain silent. An FIR was registered in 2024 and investigation was started.
During the investigation, police recorded statements of witnesses and conducted the victim’s medical examination at the civil hospital.
