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In a shocker of a news, Odisha's woman cricketer's body was found hanging from a tree under mysterious circumstances in a forest in Cuttack on Friday (January 13).
As per a report in TOI, the 26-year-old Rajashree Swain was rejected by the Odisha Cricket Association during the selection of the state senior women’s cricket squad for 2022-23 domestic season. Rajashree went missing from January 10 and her scooter was also found abandoned in Gurudijhatia forest in Athagarh area.
Rajashree was an all-rounder and was part of the 16-member Odisha senior women’s team in 2019-20. It has been suspected by the Gurudijhatia Police that Rajashree committed suicide. They also quoted some of her co-players and said that the Odisha cricketer was distressed after not making it to the final list of 16 players for the BCCI Senior Women’s one-day trophy (BCCI Domestic Season 2022-23), which starts from January 18 in Pondicherry. The team was announced on January 10.
While police suspected it to be a case of suicide, Rajashree's family members of Rajashree alleged that she was murdered. They held the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) authorities responsible. However, the OCA denied the allegation.
Cuttack deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Pinak Mishra said her coach lodged a missing person complaint at the Mangalabag Police Station after she did not reach home on the completion of the selection camp.
“The Mangalabag police undertook a search operation to ascertain her whereabouts. Subsequently, we got information that a Scooty was found at an isolated place near the Gurudijhatia area and we came to know that it belongs to the cricketer. We intensified the search in the jungle area and found her body,” said Cuttack DCP Pinak Mishra.
Mishra said an unnatural death case will be registered at the Gurudijhatia police, and the case will be investigated. He said the city police will also inquire if family members of the woman cricketer lodged any specific complaint.
On the cause of death, the DCP said the exact cause can only be ascertained after the post mortem. “The scientific team has seized the belongings from the place of occurrence with due procedure and further inquiry is being conducted,” said Mishra.
Rajashree's sister said she was deliberately excluded from the team despite being an all-rounder and good performer. “Why would she choose a jungle to commit suicide? She would never commit suicide. We urge the police to investigate the case properly,” she told reporters.
Her family claimed that Swain was refused a berth in the team despite performing better than many others who have been selected.
"She was seen crying on Wednesday evening after the names of team members were announced, and went missing from the hotel, where we had all put up for the training session, shortly after," said Swain's roommate.
Subrat Behera, the CEO of the association, said the selection was done in a very transparent manner, expressing shock over the demise of the cricketer.
"If there was prejudice, how is that she found a place in the 25-member probable team, which attended the camp," Behera said.
