BENGALURU: A basketball coach at a prestigious club in Mangaluru has been accused of sexually assaulting a minor athlete who had come for a tournament in Bengaluru on June 20. Upparpet police registered a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) case on Wednesday.
According to a source, Aditya Mahale, head coach of the club, had come to the city with his students for a tournament in June. Accommodation was arranged for them at a residential facility in Gandhinagar. The parents of a minor boy alleged that on the night of June 20, the coach forced him to dance and made him remove his clothes before sexually assaulting him. The parents filed a complaint in Mangaluru, where police registered a ‘Zero FIR’ under the POCSO Act. The case was later transferred to Upparpet police station on Wednesday, as the alleged incident took place in the city.
Speaking to TNIE, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Yatish N said, “On Wednesday morning, we received the Zero FIR, and Upparpet police have registered a case under the POCSO Act and JJ Act. Further investigation is underway.”
The police said that the accused will be summoned for questioning and further action will be taken based on the investigation.