ALAPUZHA, Kerala: A 15-year-old sportsperson died early today and three others, all undergoing training at Water Sports Centre of Sports Authority of India here have been hospitalized, after they ate a poisonous fruit in an apparent suicide pact following alleged harassment by seniors.
The girls are suspected to have consumed the fruit, locally called ‘Othalanga’, at around 3 PM yesterday inside the SAI women’s hostel. They were rushed to a hospital around 7 PM after they fainted and later taken to Alapuzha Medical College, where one of them died, police said.
The girls were undergoing training at the Water Sports Centre of the SAI at nearby Punnamada.
Relatives of the athletes alleged that the girls were being physically and mentally tortured by some seniors.
However, the hostel warden denied the charges and said they came to know about the condition of the girls only when they fainted. “None in the hostel tortured them”, she said.
Angry relatives of the girl who died said that unless an inquiry is ordered immediately and the guilty brought to book, they would block the national highway and not perform the last rites of their ward. Police have registered a case of ‘unnatural death’.
Alapuzha District Collector N Padmakumar, who visited the athletes undergoing treatment at the medical college hospital, said a detailed enquiry would be conducted into the incident.
A relative of Aparna, who died early today, alleged that the inmates of the SAI hostel were being physically tortured.
“The girl was hit by her coach two days ago with an oar due to which she could not sit or stand”, he alleged.
Meanwhile, protesting against the incident, activists of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of (CPI (M), took out a march. Meanwhile Kerala sports minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said the state Sports secretary will probe the incident.
The government also announced financial help to the family of the deceased, and said expenses of those undergoing treatment would be met by the government.
Relatives of the athletes also alleged that some anti-social elements were also seen near the hostel. -PTI
