Sports coach booked under POCSO

CHENNAI: The Flower Bazaar All Women Police have booked a 59-year-old athletics coach of a sports academy under provisions of the POCSO Act for allegedly sexually harassing young trainees. The action was taken against the man, who is also an employee of the Goods and Services Tax department, based on a complaint lodged on Friday by a girl aged about 19 years.

However, police sources said the accused was admitted to the Government Royapettah Hospital on Friday for treatment after consuming sleeping pills. Quoting the complainant, police sources said she was trained by the coach from 2013 to 2020, during which she was allegedly sexually harassed several times in the name of exclusive physiotherapy sessions.

As she refused to cooperate, the coach discontinued her training and issued death threats to her and her family, the sources said. They added the girl stayed silent on the issue as the man threatened to ruin all opportunities she would get. Since the coach continued to defame the girl in the circle, her parents sent her to other districts for training, the police said, adding that the accused allegedly harassed other girls as well.

An office bearer of the Tamil Nadu Athletic Association had told Express that the association had received a similar sexual harassment complaint against the coach in February this year and the coach denied the allegations. The police have urged other victims to reach out to Deputy Commissioner (Crimes against Women & Children) H Jayalakshmi on 9444772222. The identity of the complainants would be protected, they added.

Reach out
The police have urged other victims to reach out to Deputy Commissioner (Crimes against Women & Children) H Jayalakshmi on 9444772222