Supreme Court of India.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has come to the rescue of a Karate and martial arts instructor by granting him interim protection from arrest in a POCSO case with the condition that he would cooperate with the investigation.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Alok Aradhe allowed a plea by Sunil Kumar against the Kerala High Court's judgment of November 4, 2025 after hearing advocate Vipin Nair for the appellant.
The court issued notice to the state government and others, returnable on February 18, 2026.
It sought a response within four weeks upon service of the notice. The court allowed filing of rejoinder within two weeks thereafter.
"He shall not be arrested till the next hearing,'' the bench ordered on December 11, 2025.
The court directed the petitioner to scrupulously abide by the conditions stipulated in Section 482(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, like cooperating with investigation, not tampering with evidence (no inducements/threats), and not leaving India without permission.
The FIR was lodged on August 11, 2025 with police station – Vadakara, District – Kazhikode Rural, Kerala, for the offences punishable under Section 354(A)(1)(i), 354B and 354D of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 9(l) read with Sections 10 and 9(o) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012.
The plea by the petitioner stated he is a Karate instructor aged 46 years with an unblemished record spanning over two decades.
The petitioner claimed, he is the national secretary of Kenyuryu Karate India.
Besides the said Karate club, he ran four other Karate Centres where he has trained hundreds of students in the last 20 years.
"There has never been a single allegation of misconduct against him by any student, parent or colleague,'' his plea claimed.
It contended, the High Court failed to examine the unexplained five-year delay in filing the complaint, the inconsistency in the complainant’s conduct and the surrounding circumstances indicating malafides.
The plea stated the complaint has been lodged only in 2025, whereas the alleged incidents were alleged to have occurred between 2018 and 2020.
It also said, the complainant is presently 22 years old, which means she was 15 - 16 years old during the alleged period.
"Despite being old enough to understand the nature of interactions, the complainant did not disclose any allegation at any time during or immediately after the alleged period. In fact, she continued to maintain cordial relations with the petitioner long after the alleged period," it claimed.
In 2022, she publicly praised the petitioner, acknowledging his support, and describing him as a “father figure”. The petitioner also participated in his birthday celebrations in 2022 along with other students, the plea further claimed.