Sri Vijaya Puram, June 6: A football coach associated with JNRM College has been sent to judicial custody after a teenage football player alleged that she was misled into attending a private meeting and subjected to inappropriate behaviour.
According to the complainant’s statement, she moved to Sri Vijaya Puram last year and has been actively involved in football activities, regularly attending practice sessions and local tournaments. She stated that she first came into contact with the coach during a football event held earlier this year.
The complainant alleged that the coach later established contact with her and continued communicating despite her attempts to distance herself. According to her account, she was eventually persuaded to attend a meeting after being told it was related to a potential job opportunity.
The girl alleged that she was taken to a private location where the interaction became uncomfortable and inappropriate. She claimed that the coach made personal advances and behaved in a manner that left her distressed.
According to the statement, she left the location shortly afterward and later discussed the incident with friends, who encouraged her to come forward with her allegations.
Following the complaint, legal proceedings were initiated and the accused coach was subsequently remanded to judicial custody pending further investigation.
The development has also drawn attention because it marks the second instance in recent months in which a professional associated with JNRM has faced serious criminal allegations.
In April this year, an assistant professor of JNRM was arrested under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following allegations involving a minor girl. Authorities had stated at the time that the arrest followed a complaint lodged by the minor’s family, and the assistant professor was sent to judicial custody, while further details of the case remained under investigation.
While the two cases are unrelated and involve different individuals, their proximity generates need for discussion among students, parents, and members of the community regarding safeguards, accountability, and professional conduct in institutions that interact with young people.
JNRM has long served as one of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands’ leading centres of higher education, with students from across the archipelago pursuing academic and extracurricular activities through the institution. The college has also played a significant role in promoting sports, cultural events, and youth development initiatives over the years.
JNRM has also remained in the public spotlight over the past year following separate incidents involving the deaths of two students residing in the college’s girls’ hostel. Authorities had clarified that investigations into those incidents were being conducted independently, and no official link was established between those cases and the criminal proceedings involving the assistant professor or the football coach.
The allegations against the coach remain subject to legal scrutiny. The accused is entitled to due process under law.
The case is expected to remain under close public watch as further proceedings unfold.
