Badminton coach arrested for alleged rape of minor student in Bengaluru: Report

The coach arrested for assaulting teenage badminton student.

A 26-year-old badminton coach was arrested in Bengaluru for alleged rape and possession of obscene photographs of a 16-year-old student and images of many minors, police officers reported on Saturday.

According to reports, the police have arrested Suresh Balaji, a badminton coach at a Hulimavu badminton academy, after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted a minor student who had trained under him for almost two years.

The case came to light when the victim’s grandmother discovered inappropriate images sent from her phone to an unsaved number and upon questioning, the minor disclosed that her coach had allegedly assaulted her on multiple occasions.

“He appears to be a habitual offender who has been targeting minor girls,” a police officer involved in the investigation stated.

Authorities have also stated that nude photographs and videos of other underage girls, reportedly eight, on the suspect’s phone were discovered during investigation, police reports report.

It further reports, the coach, originally from Tamil Nadu, allegedly took the victim to his residence under the pretext of additional training.

Authorities also think the assaults happened approximately 25 times over time. According to the charges, the suspect warned the victim not to tell anyone, and the minor allegedly also skipped other activities, such as dance classes and tutoring, in order to meet the coach at the coach’s home where the assaults allegedly took place.

After the family found out, the victim’s parents contacted the authorities, leading to Balaji’s arrest on Thursday. He is being held by police for eight days while the investigation proceeds.

“Since the girl’s clothes were washed every time after she met him, we have to investigate the case thoroughly and collect other evidence, ,” the investigating officer added.

Authorities are now examining whether additional victims may have been subjected to similar abuse, as the investigation has revealed potential evidence involving eight minors.

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