Cricket coach sentenced to 48 years RI in third case of sexual abuse

A cricket coach who had been found guilty of sexually abusing girl trainees in two cases in May and June was found guilty by the Fast Track Special Court (POCSO) here in a third case on Saturday.

In this instance, Special Judge Anju Meera Birla sentenced the former coach, Manu M., 40, a resident of Sreevarahom ward, Thiruvananthapuram, to a total of 48 years on multiple counts under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Indian Penal Code. He has also been ordered to pay a fine of ₹79,000. The sentence in this case will begin after the periods of sentences of imprisonment in the earlier two cases are over.

In the earlier two cases, he had been sentenced to a total of 16 and 35 years of rigorous imprisonment, respectively. Special Public prosecutor R.S. Vijay Mohan, advocates Surabhi P. and Ravishankar Thampi H. appeared for the Prosecution. The case was investigated by the Cantonment Police.

Mr. Manu has been accused of sexually abusing the minor girl in 2018 at a noted cricket coaching centre in Thiruvananthapuram when she was a Class V student. She left to join another coaching centre in 2021, but did not disclose the incident as the accused had threatened to destroy her cricketing career. But in 2024, the young survivor had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram to play in a girls’ cricket tournament. On seeing the accused unexpectedly, she had cried out.

Soon, the incident was reported to Childline and the police. Mr. Manu subsequently had six cases registered against him after more girls lodged complaints. The sentence in the fourth cases against him is expected to be pronounced on Monday.