india

Updated: Mar 18, 2020 05:35 IST

A 19-year-old boxer was repeatedly raped and molested by her coach, first in a train in Delhi and later at their accommodation in Kolkata between February end and early March, the Delhi Police said on Tuesday.

The coach, who runs a boxing academy and has participated in private international boxing tournaments, has been arrested.

Harendra Singh, deputy commissioner of police (Railways), identified the arrested coach as 28-year-old Sandeep Malik. “He runs a boxing academy named Sandeep Malik Boxing Club in Sonepat,” the senior police officer said.

The survivor was one among dozens of students at his academy.

The repeated rapes began on February 27 when Malik was accompanying some of his students to Kolkata to have them represent Haryana in a national boxing competition, ‘3rd Bengal Boxing Classic 2020’ - scheduled from February 29 to March 3, the DCP said.

“They were travelling in the Duronto Express train from Delhi to Kolkata. The first time the coach raped the woman was inside the train while it was leaving from Delhi on February 27,” said DCP.

The rape and molestation continued in Kolkata over four days; in the room where the survivor stayed as well as in common areas.

The survivor lives in a west Delhi neighbourhood and had approached the local police there on Thursday. “The local police registered a zero FIR and referred the case to the Delhi Railway Police since the rapes had begun in a train in the national capital,” said the DCP.

Malik was booked for rape and molestation

The woman was medically examined and her statement recorded in front of her magistrate in court where she reaffirmed her allegations, said the DCP.

Malik, who was not aware that the teenager had filed the complaint, was arrested from Sonepat on Monday. “He has confessed to the crime,” the DCP alleged.

The coach is married and has two children.

The DCP said that they will probe if Malik had abused his other students too. “We did not immediately contact the other women in his academy, lest he gets alerted and escapes. We’ll probe if he is a habitual offender,” said the DCP.