Police in the Bhelupur area here have arrested a cricket coach for allegedly sexually assaulting two minor players training under him. The case came to light after the family of one of the boys filed a complaint under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, the police said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as Murari Lal alias Gautam God, originally from Meirawan under the Jansa police station, had been coaching children in Seer Goverdhanpur.
According to ACP Bhelupur Gaurav Kumar, the coach falsely claimed he had strong connections that could help young players secure places in prominent cricket teams, including the Uttar Pradesh Under-14 squad.
The police said the two boys, aged 14 and 15, were attending his coaching sessions. The coach allegedly abused one boy under the pretext of a medical checkup. He then reportedly assaulted the second boy over three consecutive days, after which the child became unwell. When the boy was taken to a hospital by his mother, he disclosed the abuse during a medical examination.
Following the complaint, a police team led by Bhelupur Station House Officer Sudhir Kumar Tripathi and assisted by Chowki In-charge Durga Kund Vikas Kumar Mishra, Sub-Inspector Lavkush Yadav, and other personnel arrested the accused coach.
Officers confirmed that he had previously faced similar charges in a 2021 case, in which he was arrested for misconduct involving a minor.
The police claimed that the accused runs a cricket‑coaching setup — one branch on a school campus and another in the locality of Seer Govardhanpur (under Lanka police area).
According to the police, he lured two adolescent boys (aged about 14 and 15) to him under the pretense of “free coaching” and the promise of getting them selected in higher-level teams (under‑14 category). The alleged abuse reportedly began under the guise of a “medical check-up” for a purported selection process.
The matter came to light when one of the boys fell ill and had to be taken to a hospital. During a medical examination, the boy disclosed what had happened. On learning this, the parents of both boys approached the police.
On being arrested and presented to the media, the coach reportedly broke down — pleading and expressing remorse. He was quoted saying he “did not want to live anymore.”
During initial interrogation, he confessed to having exploited “several boys” over time. He also had a prior criminal record: in 2021 a similar case was registered against him by another police station under related charges.
According to police sources, the coach’s personal life had suffered earlier as well, reportedly his wife divorced him due to his misconduct.
Local authorities say the scope of the investigation is being expanded — they are checking his past coaching batches and trying to identify whether there are other potential victims.
Authorities say all possible evidence — including electronic devices — is being examined to check for further wrongdoing and additional victims.