Passport seized, alert issued as cops hunt Kazakh coach accused of raping minor

Accused cycling coach Maxat Ayazbayev

Patiala: A 34-year-old foreign coach attached to the Indian cycling squad has been booked under Pocso Act for allegedly raping a minor cyclist at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Patiala.Patiala police have issued a look out circular (LOC) against the accused, Maxat Ayazbayev, a former professional road cyclist from Kazakhstan. He is untraceable since the complaint was filed last week, Patiala SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said, adding that police have seized his passport and formed two teams to track him down.Ayazbayev was scheduled to accompany the Indian cycling contingent to Japan for the Asian Games, but his travel clearance was revoked once the allegations emerged, said police.The Cycling Federation of India (CFI) is said to have suspended Ayazbayev and marked the matter to its internal complaints committee (ICC) for an inquiry. Patiala SP (city) Mohit Aggarwal said raids were on at multiple locations in Delhi and the National Capital Region to apprehend the coach.According to investigators, the alleged assault took place on Sept 13. The survivor was at NCOE within Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS) campus for a high-performance training camp.

After her complaint, an FIR was registered at Civil Lines police station on Sept 18 under Pocso Act for rape.Civil Lines police station SHO Winnerpreet Singh said the complainant’s medico-legal examination was conducted at Govt Rajindra Hospital, Patiala, and psychological as well as legal counselling had been extended to her in accordance with child protection protocols."We registered a criminal case immediately upon receiving the complaint from the athlete. The accused coach was in Delhi at the time and is since untraceable ," SSP Hans said. The LOC is in force at all international transit points to prevent him from fleeing the country.