A Delhi court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against former India U-17 women’s football coach Alex Ambrose on Friday. Ambrose was sacked last July, after being accused of sexual misconduct against a minor during the India under-17 team’s tour to Norway in June 2022.
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The court issued the warrant under Section 70 (compel the appearance or arrest of any person or search any place that the court requires) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC). After the news broke out in July 2022, Ambrose was charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
Several national team players like India's football team captain Ashalata Devi and goalkeeper Aditi Chauhan took to Twitter and reacted to the arrest warrant issued by the court. "Good to see legal action being taken. I hope strong action is taken and a precedent is set for the future," Aditi posted. "Strong action should be taken against Alex Ambrose, so young girls feel they are safe and protected," wrote Ashalata.
Addressing the incident, the All India Football Federation set up an inquiry but there have been no updates from the organisation since. Immediately after the allegations regarding Ambrose surfaced, the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) leading the AIFF released a statement issuing a suspension for the coach.
The statement said, "An event of misconduct has been reported in the U-17 women's team, currently on an exposure tour to Europe. The AIFF follows a zero-tolerance policy on indiscipline. As an initial action, the Federation has provisionally suspended the individual pending further investigation
“The AIFF has asked the concerned individual to stop all contact with the team, return to India immediately, and be physically present for further investigations upon his arrival," the statement further added.
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