Published Jul 12, 2024 | 10:20 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 12, 2024 | 10:20 PM
Cricket coach Manu has been arrested under the POCSO Act (Supplied)
The Kerala Cricket Association, (KCA)on Friday, 12 July acknowledged its fault in the sexual harassment case involving coach Manu, who has been accused of molesting minor girls and taking inappropriate photos of them.
Manu was arrested under the POCSO Act and remanded to custody on 7 July. He faces serious accusations dating back nearly two years ago when a complaint was lodged against him for sexually harassing a girl who had enrolled for cricket coaching.
After that, subsequent incidents involving more girls surfaced, raising questions about the handling of such complaints by the KCA.
In this context, KCA president Jayesh George has expressed support for the minor victims and denied allegations that the association shielded Manu. The association has made police clearance mandatory for all coaches and KCA will provide counselling to the girls who trained under Manu, he said.
According to the complaints, Manu allegedly coerced the girls into posing nude under the pretense that these assessments were mandated by the National Selection Committee and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to evaluate their body shape and flexibility.
Reports also suggest that some girls were subjected to sexual assault during coaching sessions in Thenkasi, Tamil Nadu. The KCA has maintained that they were unaware of these incidents, prompting further scrutiny into the matter.
#Kerala Cricket Association admits fault, vows support for victims in Manu case:
The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has acknowledged its fault in the sexual harassment case involving coach Manu, who was accused of molesting minor girls and taking indecent photos of them.
KCA…
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) July 12, 2024
A few days ago, the State Human Rights Commission took suo cognizance of the case following alarming reports and issued a notice to the KCA, seeking an explanation on how Manu continued in his role despite previous allegations against him.
“It came to our notice that a year and a half ago, this person was accused of sexually harassing a girl, who arrived for cricket coaching. However, that complaint somehow got compromised. Now, more girls have come forward against him. Despite this, KCA claims they are unaware of such incidents,” stated the commission.
(Edited by Neena)
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