ALAPPUZHA: A 16-year-old girl rower died and three others - all trainee-inmates of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Water Sports Centre hostel - were admitted to hospital in after they consumed fruits of Suicide Tree, in an apparent attempt at mass suicide.
The condition of of the girls admitted to the Medical College here, is said to be serious.
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.
District Police Chief said the four girls had consumed ‘othalanga’ and were found in an unconscious state on Wednesday evening.
They were admitted to the Alappuzha General Hospital and later shifted to MCH. Aparna died on Thursday morning.
The Crime Branch has started a probe into the incident. The Kerala State Human Rights Commission too has registered a case suo motu.
A letter said to be written by the girls said they took the extreme step on account of ragging by senior students. According to police officials, the SAI trainers had scolded them for misbehaviour and this led to the suicide.
Aparna is the daughter of Ramabhadran, Panackal house, Chembuthara, Aryad, Alappuzha. She joined the center two years ago and was undergoing training in rowing.
The three other girls had participated in the National Games and one of them had won gold in kayaking. Ambalappuzha magistrate has taken the dying declaration of Aparna. The declaration of other girls was taken by the sub-judicial magistrate.
Aparna, a Plus Two student with the Government Higher Secondary School, Kottamkulangara, joined the SAI for training in rowing in 2012.