A Class IX student from a government-run residential school and sports centre on the outskirts of the city has alleged sexual harassment by her coach.
Acting on her complaint, the Chikkajala police have booked Manjunath, 52, under various sections of the POCSO Act, 2012. The Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports has transferred the coach to Dharwad, pending an inquiry. A woman coach has been posted in his stead.
The student has been studying in the school for the last two years now and is an athlete.
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A week ago, she lodged a complaint with Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports alleging that Manjunath misbehaved with her twice in school and once during a train journey to Visakhapatnam, where and other students were headed to attend a sports meet. She alleged that the coach touched her inappropriately amounting to molestation.
The department conducted an internal inquiry into the complaint and the report was submitted to the Chikkajala police on Tuesday, following which the girl also filed an independent police complaint.
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Officers investigating the case said the coach has denied the allegations. He reportedly told the police that it was natural for a coach to touch the athlete while coaching and he had no sexual intentions. The girl had misunderstood his instructions, he claimed.
Anupam Agarwal, Director, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports, said a sexual harassment case of a minor was a serious offence and could be probed only by police. “Pending an inquiry, we have transferred the coach to another centre in Dharwad and a woman coach has been posted at the Bengaluru centre,” he said.