Dronacharya Awardee Mumbai Gymnastics Coach Booked Under POCSO For Allegedly Harassing 16-Year-Old Student

Mumbai: A 48-year-old gymnastics coach who has been honoured with the Dronacharya Award has been booked by Mumbai’s Vile Parle Police following a complaint by a 16-year-old student, who has alleged that the coach sexually harassed her at a gymnasium.

Police have registered an FIR against the coach under relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The student is reportedly a college student and had been receiving gymnastics training from the accused for several years.

Coach Allegedly Sent WhatsApp Message, Called Her To Gymnasium

According to reports, the alleged incident took place on Friday morning. The student was studying at home when she received a WhatsApp message from the coach containing only “Hi”. She responded and informed her mother about the message. On her mother’s advice, the student asked the coach why he had contacted her.

The coach allegedly asked her where she was and whether she was free to meet him at the gymnasium. As she had been training under him for several years, the student reportedly assumed that he wanted to discuss something related to gymnastics and went to the gymnasium.

According to the complaint, the coach was alone when she arrived. The student alleged that he asked her to bring her footwear inside and close the door from inside. The two later spoke about her college and studies.

Coach Allegedly Harassed Her Inside Gymnasium

The student has alleged that during the conversation, the coach held her left hand and pulled her onto his lap. She further alleged that when she tried to get up, he held her around the waist from behind and allegedly harassed her, as reported by Dainik Bhaskar.

The student then reportedly left the gymnasium and went directly to college. After noticing that she was distressed, her friends asked what had happened. She later narrated the incident to a teacher, who informed her family. The family then approached the police and lodged a complaint. Based on the complaint, Vile Parle Police registered the FIR under the POCSO Act and relevant provisions of the BNS.

Police are examining CCTV footage from the gymnasium and surrounding areas as part of the investigation. The WhatsApp conversation between the student and the coach is also being examined. The accused coach is being questioned as part of the investigation. Police said further legal action will follow based on the findings of the probe.

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