Cuttack: In a fresh development in the death case of woman cricketer Rajashree Swain, a handwritten letter was recovered from her scooter that held her coach and a former official of the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) responsible for her death. The scooter was found abandoned in the jungle near Gurudijhatia in Athagad of Cuttack. Meanwhile, her family has filed a complaint at the Gurudijhatia Police Station in Cuttack district demanding to register a murder case against the OCA officials.
Police are investigating the veracity of the suicide note, which will be sent to handwriting experts. Some OCA officials might also be questioned by the police. Cuttack rural police further said that the viscera sample has been collected and all items, pens and clothes of Rajasree, will also be sent for lab tests.
When asked about the letter recovered from the scooter, Swain’s mother said that the handwriting does not match her daughter’s. Reiterating her mother's allegations, the victim's brother alleged that "she was murdered as the body bore injury marks and her eyes were damaged." Accusing OCA of favouritism, the cricketer’s sister said she was deliberately excluded from the team despite being an all-rounder and a good performer. The deceased's kin contented that the OCA and her coach, Pushpanjali Bannerjee are responsible for her death.
Also read: Missing female cricketer found dead in Odisha forest
OCA CEO, Subrat Behera, however, clarified that there were no irregularities in the selection. DCP Pinak Mishra said that the matter would be investigated from all angles, and allegations raised by victims' family members will be verified.
The 26-year-old right-arm fast bowler and middle-order batter was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a dense forest near Athagarh in Cuttack district on Friday. She had gone missing on January 11, a day after she failed to make it to the final list of 16 players for the BCCI Senior Women’s one-day trophy (BCCI Domestic Season 2022-23), which was to start in Puducherry from January 18.
Pushpanajli Banerjee, her coach, lodged a missing person complaint at the Mangalabag police station when she was found missing from her hotel. Meanwhile, some locals spotted a scooter and helmet on the Bramhanabast-Kapursingh forest road on Thursday (January 12) and informed Mangalabag police, who started searching for her and later found her dead. Though the police suspect it to be a case of suicide, her family members alleged that she was murdered.
“Why would she choose a jungle? She would never do so. We urge the police to investigate the case properly,” the deceased's kin told the media. Rajashree had been playing for the state team since 2014 but was dropped in the 2021-22 season.
(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 - 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).
