Cuttack: The post-mortem report in the mysterious death of cricketer Rajashree Swain in Odisha's Cuttack has revealed that the athlete died due to asphyxiation with injury marks detected on head. Police are waiting for the viscera report in the case to ascertain the specific cause behind the death of the cricketer.
Rajashree was found hanging from a tree in a forest of Cuttack's Athagarh area on January 13. Rajashree went missing on January 11, a day after she did not make it to the final list of 16 players for the BCCI Senior Women’s one-day trophy (BCCI Domestic Season 2022-23). The tournament was due to start in Puducherry from January 18.
Also read: Odisha Woman Cricketer Death: Police recover suicide note, kin cry murder
In a significant twist in the case, on Jan. 15, police found a purported suicide note from Rajashree's scooter found abandoned in the jungle near Gurudijhatia in Athagad area of Cuttack. In the note written by Rajashree, she held her coach and a former official of the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) responsible for her death.
After the suicide note was recovered, Rajashree's family have 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 has been sent to handwriting experts.
Swain’s mother has told police that the handwriting in the alleged suicide note does not match her daughter’s. The victim's brother alleged that Rajashree was "murdered as the body bore injury marks and her eyes were damaged."
The family has accused OCA of favouritism alleging that the deceased was "deliberately excluded from the team despite being an all-rounder and a good performer". However the OCA has refuted the allegations. OCA CEO, Subrat Behera, however, clarified that there were no irregularities in the selection.
