'It is a bid to tarnish me' - KCA secretary amid allegations of sexual assault and bullying on women's team coach

Shortly after the Kerala Cricket Association faced intense scrutiny and pressure over allegations of neglecting complaints of sexual assault and bullying against the women's team's cricket coach, M. Manu, Secretary of the KCA, Vinod S. Kumar, contends that the organization was being unfairly singled out.

Also Read: KCA ignore sexual assault, bullying complaints against coach since 2018

In a notable development, it has emerged that Vinod claimed that KCA only became aware of the situation after the police visited their headquarters as part of their investigation. He also stated that the KCA reappointed Manu at the request of several parents and only after he was absolved by the Kerala High Court. Adding a new dimension to the case, Vinod revealed that when the initial police report was filed, numerous parents had provided statements asserting that the complaint was fabricated. They alleged that the complainant was motivated by someone failing the selection trials.

“The KCA appointed M. Manu only after he was exonerated by the Kerala High Court. When the police case was first registered against him, many parents had given a statement to the police that the complaint was a fabricated one and it was alleged that the complainant was acting in vengeance after failing at selection trials. We appointed him for the second time following many requests from parents,” Vinod told The Hindu.

Vinod asserted that the KCA was compelled to appoint Manu as coach for the KCA Pink T20 Challengers solely due to the unavailability of other qualified coaches, describing it as a makeshift solution. He further refuted claims that the KCA was attempting to shield Manu merely because he was affiliated with his club, deeming such allegations unfounded. Vinod also clarified that while Manu did represent his club for a period, he had also played for other clubs prior to his coaching role.

“It was merely a stopgap arrangement. The allegation that the KCA is protecting Manu because he is the coach of my club is baseless. He was never part of the coaching setup of my club. It is true that he represented my club as a player for a while, but also played for other clubs before he became a coach," added Vinod.

Vinod also emphasized his belief that these actions were aimed at tarnishing both his organization and his personal reputation by individuals with biased motives. He further asserted that this situation mirrored previous controversies, such as those involving the Kerala Cricket League, as an example of similar tactics being employed.

“It is a bid to tarnish me and these allegations are made by people with vested interests. These people have tried to derail the Kerala Cricket League by approaching the prospective bidders to withdraw from the auction and even contacted actor Mohanlal and asked him to stay away from the KCL,” mentioned Vinod.

Vinod concluded by noting that a female coach had been designated as Manu's assistant. He further explained that surveillance cameras had been upgraded to crystal-clear models, and the entire area was placed under surveillance. However, due to obvious constraints, cameras could not be installed inside the gym or restrooms. Additionally, it had been mandated that parents be present on the premises during training sessions.

“Surveillance cameras were replaced with high resolution ones and the entire area came under surveillance. However, the cameras couldn’t be installed inside the gym and toilets for obvious reasons. We had also made it mandatory for parents to be present at the premises during training,” concluded Vinod.