A former cricket coach of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has been accused of sexually assaulting female students during training sessions and has been arrested by police in Thiruvananthapuram on the same charges. Manu, the suspect, is accused of abusing his position and power as a coach to allegedly engage in sexual assaults under the guise of coaching cricket. According to police reports, Manu exploited his students by taking advantage of a training trip to Tenkasi. As per the charges, he secretly photographed minor girls without clothes, claiming that doing so was necessary for evaluating their bodies for cricket selection.
Arrest made under POCSO
After a first complaint was filed after one survivor came forward following the KCA's pink tournament and the investigation began. Five additional survivors have since made allegations against Manu. Under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the Thiruvananthapuram Cantonment Police promptly registered cases. Manu has been a cricket coach in Thiruvananthapuram for more than a decade, according to sources. He was arrested and accused of molestation, but the complainant later retracted her statement, and he was found not guilty. Despite this, he continued to work for the association and voiced concerns regarding oversight and measures to protect children.
Secretary of the District Cricket Association on the case
Following his recent arrest, authorities have confiscated two of Manu's mobile phones, on the suspicion of them containing incriminating evidence related to the alleged offences. "The District Cricket Association will offer full support to the girls who have filed complaints against Manu," stated Rajith Rajendran, Secretary of the District Cricket Association, to Mathrubhumi News.
"There was a previous case involving Manu, in which he was acquitted after the complainant changed her statement. During that case, all children were interviewed. On that occasion, all children testified in support of Manu," Rajendran added. He clarified that the association did not approve the Tenkasi tournament. The children, their parents, and their coach jointly decided to attend Tenkasi because girls' cricket tournaments are uncommon. Rajendran also mentioned that Manu resigned in the middle of April and that the new complaint only came out after that.
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