A sexual harassment case has been registered against a boxing coach associated with a private boxing club operating out of Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Stadium following allegations made by a 17-year-old boxer and her mother.
The case was filed at the Sampangiramnagar Police Station under Sections 8 and 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, along with Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which pertains to criminal intimidation. Police have launched an investigation into the matter.
According to the complaint filed by the victim’s mother on May 22, the minor athlete has been training at Lions Boxing Club for nearly 10 years. The accused, a 50-year-old coach, had reportedly been training the teenager and is alleged to have harassed her over the past four years, with incidents becoming more frequent in recent months.
As per the FIR, the coach allegedly attempted to establish inappropriate physical closeness with the athlete and touched her inappropriately on several occasions at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru.
The complaint also details an alleged incident during a boxing competition in Chennai on May 17, where the coach is accused of calling the minor to his private room before allegedly touching her inappropriately, forcibly kissing her and engaging in misconduct.
The victim’s mother further alleged that the accused threatened the teenager with severe consequences if she disclosed the incidents to family members. According to the complaint, the coach allegedly warned the athlete that he would kill her if she spoke about the abuse.
The FIR also states that a formal complaint regarding the alleged harassment had earlier been submitted to an internal committee.
“The accused has been touching my daughter inappropriately with the intention of having a physical relationship. After touching her inappropriately in his private room, he verbally abused her. He had behaved similarly at a stadium in Bengaluru as well,” the mother alleged in her complaint.
She further claimed that the coach threatened her daughter against informing family members about the alleged incidents. Police said the investigation is ongoing.