The court pronounced the coach guilty under charges, including punishment for aggravated sexual assault, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
A 42-year-old lagori and wrestling coach in a public school in the city was sentenced to five years imprisonment by a special court on Monday for sexually harassing students after taking them to a resort under the guise of a state-level sports tournament.
Five of the students had deposed about the sexual harassment they faced. Based on this and other evidence, the court pronounced the coach guilty under charges, including punishment for aggravated sexual assault, under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
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.