Mumbai school wrestling coach gets 5-yr jail for ‘sexually harassing’ minor students

According to submissions made by special public prosecutor Veena Shelar, in 2016, the accused was introduced to the students as a lagori coach. He was appointed to coach girls from Class 7 to Class 9 at the school ground and 15 girls were selected for the same. One of the girls during her deposition said that the accused was also coaching them in wrestling and touched one of the students inappropriately during practice.

Later, the accused informed the 15 girls he was coaching that there was a state-level lagori tournament in Alibaug in July 2016 and directed each of the 15 girls to deposit Rs 2,000 for the expenses. Later, he told them that the competition was postponed due to heavy rain.

On July 30, 2016, the girls were asked to assemble near his home from where they were to travel to Alibaug for the tournament. While one of them dropped out citing health issues, 14 others went for the trip with one female staffer and the accused.

On the way, he informed the students that the tournament was cancelled but they should not feel disheartened and that he would take them to a resort instead. He then took them all to a resort in Pen in Raigad district. Police claimed that he told the girls to inform their parents that they participated in the tournament and won an award.

At the resort, police claimed that the accused made the girls to queue up after a round of water sports and made them feel uncomfortable. Some of the girls were also touched inappropriately by the accused at the resort and in the bus. After the students reached home, one of them informed her parents about the same.

The parents then approached school principal but claimed that no action was taken, following which they wrote to then Mumbai police commissioner. An FIR was filed against the accused who was arrested in September 2016. He got bail in January 2017.

During the trial, the accused claimed that he was falsely implicated and that he had taken the girls to the resort on their insistence. He had also raised doubts over the girls not making any complaint immediately to the female staffer in the bus or the bus driver.

The manager of the resort who was brought in a prosecution witness revealed that the accused had booked the resort in advance for two days. As many as 10 witnesses, including five students, one parent of the complainant, the manager and the investigating officer had deposed during the trial.