SAI report rules out ragging, torture in Kerela girls athlete case

In the latest updates in the Kerala girl athletes suicide pact case, the Sporting Authority of India (SAI) probe panel has ruled out ragging and torure. The SAI report states that there has been no misdemeanor on part of the authorities, according to news reports. “The inquiry has ruled out the ragging and torture angle by senior girls,” a senior ministry official told dna on Tuesday, adding, “SAI DG spoke to several senior hostelites and he could not establish the harassment angle as has been alleged by Aparna’s parents and the relatives of the other athletes. The investigation into the conduct of the warden has also not revealed anything substantial,” according to a DNA report. [caption id=“attachment_2234074” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Police search the compound of Sports Authority of India centre in Alappuzha where four female athletes tried to commit suicide. PTI[/caption] One woman athlete died and three others attempted suicide by consumption of poison over alleged harassment by seniors. The four students in an alleged suicide pact had consumed a poisonous fruit, locally called ‘Othalanga’, last week. The SAI authorities have chopped off the shrub of ‘Othalanga’ (Cerbera Odollom) known as suicide fruit, from near the campus. The shrub, grows wild in coastal and swampy areas in many parts of Kerala. Aparna Ramabhadran, who died, was a promising rower who won a bronze in the junior girl’s coxless pair in the junior national rowing championship held in Cuttack, Odisha, last year. Aparna’s grieving mother Geeta said Aparna had told her about the “mental and physical harassment” meted out to them by seniors at the SAI hostel while fighting for life at the hospital. “Mother please forgive me. I did this due to harassment of senior ‘chechis’ (elder sisters). Will I not survive?,” Aparna was quoted as saying by her mother hours before she breathed her last. SAI in it’s report has given a clean chit to its officials. “All four girls allegedly consumed alcohol (beer) at a wedding function four or five days prior to entering the suicide pact. Some of their seniors came to know about it and they advised them not to consume alcohol in future. The seniors were not exactly found to be harassing them. Later, when the warden came to know about it, she scolded the four girls and threatened to inform their parents. She was actually acting like a ‘mother’ to them, discouraging them from taking the wrong path and instead reminding them to achieve success in sports,” the report added. Parliament members have demanded the sacking of the Sport Authority of India (SAI) chief and bringing a law to effectively deal with “dictatorial” attitude of sports federations and associations. Meanwhile Alappuzha Lok Sabha member K.C.Venugopal told reporters in Delhi that he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and asked for help for the family of Aparna. ”We have lost a budding athlete and hence I have requested for a handsome compensation. He also agreed to conduct a proper probe at the highest level with regard to the entire incident,” said Venugopal. Meanwhile, the condition of the three athletes undergoing treatment at the Alapuzha Medical College hospital continues to be stable. (With inputs from agencies)