40-year-old cricket coach Manu M, a native of Vallakadavu, has been handed a 16-year jail term by a fast-track special court for sexually assaulting a minor student. The horrific incidents took place at a prominent cricket coaching center in Thiruvananthapuram.
Cricket coach gets 16-year jail terms for sexually assaulting student
In addition to the prison term, Judge Anju Meera Birla ordered the convict to pay a compensation of Rs24,000 to the survivor, noting that a failure to clear the fine would result in an additional 2.5 years of jail time.
The case came to light after students enrolled at the elite training facility reported the abuse. The convict reportedly targeted some of the young girls under the pretext of specialized physical training, taking them to the academy's gym where he sexually assaulted them on multiple occasions.
Adding to the trauma, the coach also demanded that the girls send him explicit photographs. When the trainees bravely refused to comply with his demands, he reportedly retaliated by withholding proper cricket coaching and guidance. This targeted discrimination and hostile environment eventually forced the affected students to leave the academy and seek training at other coaching centers.
Disturbing pattern of abuse revealed
Subsequent police investigations revealed a disturbing pattern of abuse, uncovering that Manu had assaulted at least five other young students at the facility. The horrific incidents finally came to light during a girls' cricket tournament in 2024, when one of the survivors spotted the accused. She courageously reported the matter and encouraged her peers to come forward, leading to a total of six separate cases being registered against the coach. The trial for four of those cases has now been completed.
To secure the heavy conviction, the Cantonment Police presented a watertight case to the court, submitting 25 crucial pieces of documentary evidence. The prosecution team, spearheaded by Special Public Prosecutor Adv R S Vijay Mohan alongside Adv Surabhi P and Adv Ravi Shankar Thampi H A, successfully examined 14 witnesses during the trial to prove the coach's guilt beyond a shadow of a doubt.