CUTTACK: Promising woman cricketer Rajashree Swain, who was missing for the last two days, was found hanging inside a forest near Gurudijhatia police limits in Cuttack district on Friday.
Police sources said the body of the 26-year-old cricketer from Bhuagaon under Ramachandi police limits in Puri district was found hanging from a tree inside Bramhanabast forest under Athagarh forest division.
Some locals, who had reportedly gone to collect firewood, spotted a scooter and helmet on the Bramhanabast-Kapursingh forest road and informed Mangalabag police. A team of police officials rushed to the spot and started searching for her.
Cuttack ACP Amitav Mohapatra said she died by suicide. Further investigation is on, he said.
Rajashree was among the 25 women cricketers, who had taken part in a practice-cum-training camp organised by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) for the selection of the state team, in an upcoming national-level cricket tournament scheduled to be held in Puducherry.
All were staying in a hotel at Bajrakabati Road since January 2. The Odisha team was announced on January 10 and Rajashree did not find a place in the final list. Next day, the selected players had gone to a cricket field in Tangi for practice while Rajashree informed her coach that she was going to Puri to meet her father.
When Rajashree did not reach home, and her mobile phone was found switched off, her coach Pushpanajli Banerjee filed an FIR about her missing in Mangalabag police station on Thursday. The cricketer’s sister Jayashree blamed OCA authorities and the coach for her death. She said Rajashree had called her on January 10 and was crying for not being selected for the Odisha team.
Jayashree alleged that her sister was in acute distress and had told her though she had performed well, she could not make it to the final list due to alleged unfair means adopted in the selection procedure by the OCA.
Meanwhile, Rajashree’s father Gunanidhi has raised questions as to how her daughter could reach the dense forest area, which is a habitation for elephants and nearly 30 km away from the hotel where she was staying along with her teammates. He alleged that her daughter was killed and then hung to give an impression of suicide. “The OCA authorities have killed my daughter and hung her body from the tree inside the jungle to suppress their wrongdoings,” said Gunanidhi.
OCA Secretary Sanjay Behera did not take calls from The New Indian Express.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)