THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It was in March 2024 that an underaged female cricketer, who aspired to don the India jersey, began breaking down hysterically and stood on the verge of a collapse while staying in a Thiruvananthapuram hotel. She had arrived in the city to take part in a girls T20 match organised by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).
As those accompanying her -- teammates and coach -- were left clueless as to what triggered such an emotional outburst, a fellow cricketer seemed to have an answer. “Maybe she saw coach Manu (Manu M) in the hotel,” the girl told one of her teammates.
That was the beginning of the undoing of Manu, a cricket trainer with the Thiruvananthapuram District Cricket Association academy, who had been preying on a band of hapless girls under his care.
The girl with the answer too was one of Manu’s victims. It was her own bitter experiences that prompted her to envisage that something equally terrible was happening with her friend. By then, the coach of the first girl – a Class XI student – had a word with her.
The coach calmed her down and slowly made her talk. The apprehension of the other girl had come true. She admitted that seeing her former coach, who had abused her frequently for years and from whom she had escaped by joining another academy, was still training young girls without facing any consequences for his cardinal sin had triggered her reaction.
The young cricketer volunteered to file a complaint with the Cantonment police. The second girl too followed suit some days later. And what followed was eerily extraordinary. The cops, within a matter of a few days, received five more complaints. Six cases were registered by Thiruvananthapuram City police, while another one was registered in Tenkasi as the crime occurred there.
A resident of Sreevaraham, Manu followed a pattern to prey on his victims. Under the pretext of giving private lessons, he touched the girls inappropriately. This occurred in the gym, around the training areas, in public transport, and even in washrooms. In some cases, he made the victims believe he was just checking their body fat level, while in other cases he made them shoot their own nude content by making them believe that it was to ensure the effectiveness of his workouts.
Manu was arrested the same year under relevant sections of the Pocso Act and the Indian Penal Code and has been cooling his heels behind bars since then. Trial has been completed in four cases at the fast-track court in Thiruvananthapuram and the verdict has been given in three of them. He has been awarded a collective imprisonment of 99 years – 16 in the first case, 35 in the second and 48 in the third. The verdict in the fourth case is expected on Monday.
Special Public Prosecutor R S Vijay Mohan, who represents the prosecution, said the punishment meted out to Manu will serve as a deterrent. “Instead of being their protector, he became their oppressor. The hapless children suffered a lot and they should get justice. The punishment should serve as a deterrent,” Vijay said.
An officer, who was privy to the investigation, said Manu acted like a psycho, but was wary of getting caught in the act. “He knew he might be exposed, but not in this manner. He was planning to leave the country a little later and settle down abroad. But karma had something else up the sleeves for him. That’s why the girl encountered him at the team hotel,” the officer said.
The incident took place at a KCA facility and the association received flak for alleged laxity on its part in ensuring the safety of its trainees. The State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) that intervened in the matter recently directed the KCA to ensure the safety of women and girls who attend its training camps. Shocked by the revelations, the rights body also asked the KCA to ensure that only women coaches attend to female trainees, a move that evoked a mixed response.
The KCA informed the commission that it was planning to make a police clearance certificate mandatory for job applicants in its units. A child protection policy would be framed to protect girls and the staff of the KCA and district associations given counselling, the KCA informed the court. An internal complaints committee would also be formed to prevent sexual harassment at the workplace, the SHRC was told.
Rights panel directives to Kerala Cricket Association
Ban men from entering the changing rooms of female trainees
Parents of girls should be allowed to remain at the training place
Install CCTV cameras in designated areas and forward complaints received against trainers to the police
CCTV footage should be reviewed every two to three days to monitor untoward incidents