Pinarayi writes to Nitish on basketball player’s suicide, her coach is named in case

Lithara, 23, from Kunumal village in Vadakara, Kozhikode, was employed by the Railways underneath the sports activities quota and was posted on the Divisional Railway Supervisor’s workplace in Danapur, Bihar. She is reported to have died by suicide on the intervening evening of April 25-26.

The coach can also be a Railways’ worker. “A case of abetment of suicide (Part 306 IPC) has been filed towards the coach and Railways official following the grievance by her household. There are allegations of psychological and sexual harassment, and it is going to be probed,” mentioned a police officer in Patna.

Elevating the difficulty in a letter to Nitish on Thursday, Vijayan wrote: “Her relative had requested for a radical probe into the incident of her premature loss of life. It has been dropped at my consideration by certainly one of her relations that of their opinion no circumstances existed which might have led to Miss Lithara’s suicide.”

In a grievance filed on the Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna on April 27, Lithara’s maternal uncle, Rajeevan, alleged that Lithara had been sexually and mentally harassed by the coach.

“Earlier, I used to be knowledgeable by Lithara that her basketball coach was concerned in psychological and sexual harassment, and he was placing stress on her. Since he has affect in excessive locations, she couldn’t complain towards him. I consider that due to the psychological trauma of being harassed by the coach, Lithara dedicated suicide,” Rajeevan mentioned in his grievance.

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When contacted, Rajeevan mentioned: “When she got here residence for Vishu (Kerala new 12 months, in mid-April), she appeared to be in an excellent way of thinking. We don’t know if the coach troubled her once more after she returned to Patna.”

He mentioned Lithara’s father husks coconuts for a residing however has been unable to work attributable to a slipped disc. Her mom has been identified with most cancers. “Each her mother and father are unwell however they have been joyful that Lithara was doing nicely. This tragedy got here as a shock to everybody,” mentioned Rajeevan, who travelled to Patna after the household was knowledgeable concerning the loss of life. Lithara has two older sisters who’re married.

Lithara began taking part in basketball on the Kannur Division Sports activities College earlier than shifting to Thrissur. “She was passionate concerning the sport and had skilled very laborious to get the place she was,” Rajeevan mentioned. She was within the Kerala staff that gained the thirty second Federation Cup championship after defeating Tamil Nadu 66-50 in 2018.