Kerala Cricket Coach Receives 47-Year Rigorous Imprisonment Sentence

A special court in the Indian state of Kerala has sentenced a cricket coach to 47 years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of sexually abusing a minor female cricketer. The court also imposed a fine of ₹79,000, marking another significant conviction in a series of cases brought against the coach under India’s child protection laws.

The convicted coach, Manu M, was prosecuted under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following allegations that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a minor student in 2018 while exploiting his position as a cricket coach. According to the prosecution, the abuse took place during cricket training sessions, where the accused misused the trust placed in him by the young athlete and her family.

Following the victim’s complaint, investigators conducted an inquiry that resulted in charges under the POCSO Act, the Information Technology Act, and multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code. Prosecutors argued that the evidence established a sustained pattern of abuse, while the defence contested the allegations during the trial.

After hearing the case, the Special POCSO Court in Kerala found Manu M guilty on all counts. The court awarded a combined sentence of 47 years of rigorous imprisonment and ordered him to pay a fine of ₹79,000.

Despite the cumulative length of the sentence, the court clarified that the punishments imposed under the various legal provisions will run concurrently rather than consecutively. As a result, under Indian law, the effective term of imprisonment for this conviction will be 20 years. The court also ruled that this sentence will commence only after the completion of the prison terms already imposed in two previous convictions against the same individual.

The latest verdict represents the third conviction against Manu M in separate POCSO cases. Authorities have stated that, in 2024, multiple former students came forward with allegations of sexual abuse, prompting the registration of six separate POCSO cases against him. Three of those cases have now resulted in convictions, while judicial proceedings in the remaining cases are still under way.

The case has once again drawn attention to the responsibility of sports coaches and training institutions to provide a safe environment for young athletes. Child protection laws such as the POCSO Act are designed to safeguard minors from sexual offences and to ensure that individuals entrusted with the care and development of children are held accountable when that trust is violated.

With several cases still awaiting trial, the legal process involving Manu M is expected to continue, and the outcomes of the remaining prosecutions will be determined by the courts in due course.