A foreign coach associated with the Indian cycling team has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act following a rape complaint by a minor cyclist training at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Patiala.The police have issued a Look Out Circular (LOC) against the coach, identified as Maxsat Ayazbayev, who has been untraceable since the matter came to light last week.The case stems from a complaint filed by a minor cyclist training at the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Patiala, accusing the coach of rape. While details of the alleged incident are being withheld to protect the identity of the athlete, the police have constituted a special team to trace the accused.The police said a case was registered immediately after the complaint was received, but the coach was in Delhi at the time and subsequently went untraceable. “We have formed two teams to trace accused Maxsat Ayazbayev, a former professional road cyclist from Kazakhstan who is now associated with the Indian cycling team,” Patiala SSP Harmandeep Singh Hans said.The FIR was registered at the Civil Lines police station in Patiala on September 18 on the complaint of the minor athlete. The 34-year-old coach was scheduled to travel to Japan with the Indian cycling contingent for the Asian Games, but his travel plans were halted after the complaint surfaced.“After learning about the case, he was initially in Delhi but has remained incommunicado since,” officials privy to the investigation said, adding, “His passport has been withheld and raids are being conducted to nab him.”Meanwhile, the Cycling Federation of India has suspended the coach and referred the matter to the appropriate committee for an internal inquiry. Legal and psychological support has also been extended to the victim as per protocol.