Rajashree Swain, a promising young cricketer from India, was found hanging in Cuttack district on January 13, Friday and the police sources believe it to be a suicide case, although her sister, Jayashree blamed the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) for her death, citing that the coach and the management made her hang herself in mysterious circumstances.
To add more, reports from the New Indian Express claimed that the body was found in Bhuagaon in the Puri district in the Bramhanabast forest region, which comes under the Athagarh forest division. The news, however, has caused a shockwave in and around the area, with people claiming that she could have gone on to become a great cricketer.
Cuttak ACP Amitav Mohapatra was quoted as saying by the New Indian Express that the 26-year-old died by hanging herself and that further investigation is being conducted. For the unversed, Rajashree was taking part in a practice camp conducted by the OCA to select state players for the tournament scheduled to take place in Puducherry.
Rajashree’s father raises concerns over his daughter’s mysterious death
Rajashree’s sister Jayashree left no stone unturned to blame the OCA and the management for the mysterious death, claiming that her sister was unhappy for not being a part of the squad post the final list was announced. Meanwhile, her father Gunanidhi raised concerns over her death claiming that the forest was 30kms away from the hotel where she and her teammates were staying.
For the unversed, the Odisha team was announced on Tuesday and on Wednesday, Rajashree reportedly informed her coach of visiting her father, failing which, her coach Pushpanajli Banerjee complained about her missing to the Mangalabag police station, eventually filing an FIR.
“The OCA authorities have killed my daughter and hung her body from the tree inside the jungle to suppress their wrongdoings,” Gunanidhi was quoted as saying by the New Indian Express. One has to agree that women’s cricket is being popularised steadily in India and a women’s Indian T20 League is on the cards.
However, on the other hand, not providing adequate assistance and chances to women stars might come to backfire given that the Indian team is failing constantly in multinational tournaments that being said, fans are hoping for the issue to be addressed at the earliest, eventually, justice being served.
