A kabaddi coach in the Sports Authority of India Southern office near Bengaluru University campus has been accused of molesting a 13-year-old girl on Tuesday evening.
The incident lead to a flare-up with the family of the girl confronting the 59-year-old coach in the office and lodging a complaint with Sports Authority of India (SAI). So far, no complaint has been filed with the police.
According to sources, around 4.15 p.m. on Tuesday, the girl raised an alarm in the girls’ dressing room near the kabaddi ground of the sports complex. Around the same time, a function was being held in the auditorium. Most of coaches and athletes were attending the function.
The girl ran out of the dressing room — where male coaches are not allowed — and called her mother who stays nearby.
Her father and uncle arrived at the venue and allegedly assaulted the coach. They allegedly dragged him to the office where a complaint handwritten by the girl was submitted. According to a source, when confronted, the coach allegedly confessed to the incident.
SAI Regional Director M. Shyam Sundar informed that a committee had been formed to inquire into the incident. “We are waiting for the report and will take action, whether it is suspension or removal or taking the matter to the police,” he said. This was the first such complaint against the coach and the incident will be viewed seriously, he added.
The person named in the complaint is a senior kabaddi and kho kho coach who has been associated with the SAI Training Centre (STC) Scheme that mentors sportspersons between the ages of 12 and 18.
Police said a case can be registered only after the parents file a complaint. “To lodge an FIR, we need permission of the guardians,” said a senior police official.
