Bengaluru boxing coach booked under POCSO for harassing minor student
Synopsis
A boxing coach at Bengaluru's Kanteerava Stadium has been booked under POCSO after a 17-year-old athlete and her mother alleged four years of harassment — including a specific assault during a Chennai competition. The case exposes a prior internal complaint that went unresolved, raising serious questions about accountability within private sports clubs.
Key Takeaways
A 50-year-old boxing coach at Lions Boxing Club , Kanteerava Stadium , Bengaluru, has been booked under POCSO Sections 8 and 12 and BNS Section 351(2) .
The complaint was filed on 22 May 2025 by the mother of a 17-year-old girl who had been training at the club for nearly a decade.
Alleged harassment reportedly spanned four years , intensifying over the last five to six months .
A specific incident on 17 May in Chennai , during a boxing competition, is detailed in the FIR.
The accused allegedly threatened to kill the victim if she disclosed the abuse; an internal complaint had reportedly been filed prior to the police complaint.
An investigation is underway at Sampangiramnagar police station ; no arrest has been publicly confirmed.
A 50-year-old boxing coach at the Lions Boxing Club, operating out of Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru, has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, following a complaint filed on 22 May 2025 by the mother of a 17-year-old girl boxer who allegedly suffered years of harassment at his hands.
The Complaint and Charges
The case was registered at the Sampangiramnagar police station under Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. According to the First Information Report (FIR), the accused allegedly harassed the minor over a period of four years, with incidents escalating in frequency over the last five to six months.
What the FIR Alleges
The FIR states that the coach repeatedly attempted inappropriate physical contact with the girl on multiple occasions at Kanteerava Stadium. A specific incident on 17 May, during a boxing competition in Chennai, is cited in detail: the coach allegedly summoned the minor to his private room, where he touched her inappropriately, forcibly kissed her, and engaged in further misconduct.
The complainant has also alleged that the accused threatened the victim, warning that he would kill her if she disclosed the abuse to her family. 'The accused has been touching my daughter inappropriately with the intention of having a physical relationship. After touching her inappropriately in his private room, he verbally abused her. He had behaved similarly at a stadium in Bengaluru as well,' the mother stated, according to the FIR. She further alleged, 'The accused had threatened my daughter that if she informed family members about this matter, she would not be spared of her life.'
Background and Prior Complaints
The victim had been training at the Lions Boxing Club for nearly a decade, according to police. The FIR notes that a formal complaint regarding the alleged harassment had previously been submitted to an internal committee at the club, suggesting the matter was flagged internally before reaching law enforcement.
Investigation Underway
Police have confirmed that an investigation is currently underway. No arrest has been publicly announced as of the time of reporting. This case adds to a growing body of documented incidents involving the alleged sexual misconduct of coaches against minor athletes in Indian sports institutions — raising renewed questions about safeguarding mechanisms within private sporting clubs and their oversight by stadium authorities.
Point of View
Creating a gap that POCSO alone cannot close. Until sports bodies are mandated to report such complaints to police within a defined window, internal committees risk functioning as shields rather than safeguards.
NationPress
5 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges have been filed against the Bengaluru boxing coach?
The coach has been booked under Sections 8 and 12 of the POCSO Act, 2012, and Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, for alleged sexual harassment and criminal intimidation of a 17-year-old girl student. The case was registered at Sampangiramnagar police station in Bengaluru.
Where did the alleged incidents take place?
The alleged harassment occurred primarily at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru over a period of four years. A specific incident on 17 May 2025 is alleged to have taken place in the coach's private room during a boxing competition in Chennai.
How long had the minor been training under the accused coach?
According to police, the 17-year-old victim had been training at the Lions Boxing Club for nearly a decade. The alleged harassment reportedly began approximately four years ago and escalated in frequency over the last five to six months.
Was a complaint made before the police FIR?
Yes. According to the FIR, a formal complaint regarding the alleged harassment had previously been submitted to an internal committee at the club before the mother approached the police on 22 May 2025.
What threats did the accused allegedly make?
The complainant alleged that the coach threatened to kill the victim if she disclosed the abuse to her family. This threat forms part of the criminal intimidation charge under BNS Section 351(2).
