Overview

• Deonar police arrested 41-year-old Rajendra Nanasaheb Pawar on August 5, accusing him of sexually abusing his 13-year-old trainee at a Govandi municipal cricket ground.
• The Ghatkopar resident reportedly traveled for months to Pawar’s sessions before telling her parents that the coach had threatened her into silence.
• After Pant Nagar police registered a zero FIR, Deonar authorities discovered a prior similar offence logged against Pawar at the same station.
• Prosecutors have charged Pawar under key provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
• This case adds to multiple coach-led abuse scandals nationwide, fueling demands for stricter vetting, CCTV installation and fast-track trials in sports and educational facilities.