THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:Sports Authority of India (SAI) director-general Injeti Srinivas on Thursday described the death of a 15-year-old trainee at SAI Water Sports Centre, Alappuzha, as the ‘’most shocking incident in the organisation’s three-decade-long existence’’.
“SAI feels like a bereaved organisation. This is the most tragic and shocking incident in organisation’s three-decade-long existence,” he said, reacting to the incident where four SAI athletes attempted suicide late on Wednesday over alleged harassment by their seniors at the centre. “We’ve been following up with the state authorities in Kerala as well as SAI officials, but our priority is to save the lives of the other three trainees,” Srinivas said in a press conference at New Delhi. “We have tried to ensure that they are getting best medical attention,” he added.
“If anything is found wanting on our side and anyone found at fault, then the strictest of action will be taken,” Srinivas said, adding that SAI as an organisation has responsibilities and it will not be running away from these responsibilities.
UNION MINISTER’S DIRECTIVE
Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had earlier directed the SAI director- general to rush to the spot and prepare a factual report. “I have specifically directed him to ensure that the best possible treatment is made available to the three girls who are undergoing treatment,” Sonowal said.
“The young girl who has died was a very promising sportsperson. It is a big loss to the country in general and SAI and sports fraternity in particular. I convey my condolences to the bereaved family,” Sonowal said of the deceased Aparna Ramabhadran. “While law will take its own course, at this stage I would only like to say that if anyone from SAI is found guilty in connection with this tragic incident, strictest possible action will be taken against him or her,” the minister added.
Vs seeks probe
T’Puram: Opposition Leader V S Achuthanandan on Thursday demanded a thorough inquiry into the death of a 15-year-old trainee at the SAI Water Sports Centre in Alappuzha. He said that stern punishment must be meted out to those who are found guilty in the incident. “It is known that the four trainees were physically and mentally harassed by seniors and coaches led to the mishap,” he noted.
‘Humiliation by Seniors Led to Suicide’
Alappuzha: The girls were driven to take this extreme step due to the continuous humiliation by their senior students, said Geetha, the mother of Aparna, one of the dead girls. She said that Aparna had called them after she consumed the poisonous fruit. The senior students had humiliated them on various issues and it has lead to the girls consuming the poisonous fruit, ‘othalanga’(cerbera odallam). “Aparna had consumed a large number of the fruit. The girls consumed the fruit at 3 pm and were admitted to the MC only after four hours. The delay lead to the death of my daughter,” Geetha added.