Supreme Court of India. | Photo credit: ANI
The Supreme Court on Saturday (December 13, 2025) shielded a karate instructor from arrest in a case filed by a former student under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act (POCSO).
A bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kumar directed the Kerala police not to arrest the martial arts instructor till the next hearing in the apex court on February 18, 2026.
The court ordered the man to “scrupulously comply” with the conditions imposed under Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which primarily require him to cooperate with the police investigation and make himself available for questioning in connection with the case registered in Vadakara, Kerala.
The 46-year-old man, represented by lawyer Vipin Nair, was granted protection from coercive measures despite being denied anticipatory bail by both the trial court and the state high court.
The petitioner argued before the high court that the FIR was lodged five years after the alleged incident due to personal enmity and professional rivalry. Mr. Nair said his client has more than 20 years of experience in martial arts and has taught hundreds of students without any blemish on his reputation. He claimed the case was patently false and motivated. The Bench issued notice to the State of Kerala.
The petition called the criminal charges “an alarming example of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act 2012 (POCSO) being misused by a former student to target and implicate a teacher for personal motives”.
“What was enacted as a protective statute to protect children from actual sexual assault has been used in this case to settle scores and destroy the petitioner’s reputation. Rather than the complainant requiring legal protection, it is the petitioner, a 46-year-old karate instructor with an unblemished record spanning more than two decades,” who now requires protection from a motivated, convicted and belated plaintiff.
Referring to a Supreme Court judgment on the impact of criminal charges on a teacher’s reputation, the petitioner cited that “a teacher earns his reputation by rendering service over the years and an allegation such as the present one would leave an indelible mark marring his entire future life”.
Published – 13 Dec 2025 21:39 IST
