SILIGURI: A karate instructor in north Bengal’s Siliguri is on the run after his student, a 16-year-old girl, accused him of raping her during an international martial art event three years ago.

The girl confided to her parents about the rape on Sunday after they questioned her decision not to take part in a karate competition. She told them it was because of her instructor Ram Chandra Chettri, who raped her during their 2021 trip to Japan. Chettri had accompanied her to the event.

Police said a case was registered under Section 376 (rape) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 6 (aggravated penetrative sexual assault) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 following a complaint lodged by the teenager’s father.

Police said the instructor, who is in his late forties, is missing.

On Wednesday afternoon, scores of women staged a demonstration outside the Pradhan Nagar Police station in Siliguri to demand his arrest.

“We have registered a rape case on the basis of a complaint lodged by the victim’s family and have also booked the accused under the POCSO act. Investigation is going,” said Biswa Chand Thakur, deputy commissioner (West) of Siliguri Metropolitan Police.

“In June 2021, Chetti had taken some of his students including the girl to Japan to participate in some competition. During that time, she was sexually abused by him,” said family member.

Purnima Thama, a school teacher and a social activist, said they had come to know that Chettri had sexually abused other students as well. “Had the family not asked why she was not going to participate in competition, she would have probably never told what actually had happened to her. We have also come to know that there are other victims of Chettri’s too,” she said.