Kozhikode (Kerala), Jan 17 (PTI) The parents of a trainee athlete who was found hanging at the SAI hostel in Kollam have alleged that their daughter was unhappy and fed up with staying at the sports facility.
Sandra A (18), a native of Chaliyam in Kozhikode district, and Vyshnavi V (15) of Muthakkal in Thiruvananthapuram district were found hanging in their hostel room on January 15.
Police probing the case recovered suicide notes from both girls and said the preliminary investigation pointed to personal issues behind the deaths.
Sandra’s mother, Sindhu, told reporters on Saturday that her daughter had often told the family that she was fed up living at the SAI facility.
Sindhu said Sandra had expressed her wish to return home after her Plus Two examinations and pursue a physiotherapy course.
“Due to our situation, I used to tell her to continue there. She used to share everything with us,” she said.
Sindhu said Sandra was allowed to contact the family on Sundays and Thursdays. However, on Wednesday, around 8 pm, a day before her death, Sandra called her from the warden’s phone.
“During the conversation, I noticed a change in her voice and asked her about it. She said nothing and spoke to her father,” Sindhu said.
She said that after speaking to her father, she again enquired about the change in her voice, but Sandra denied anything being wrong.
Sindhu said Sandra had joined the SAI hostel around four years ago and the warden at that time was very caring.
“But that warden was changed a month ago. I used to contact that warden regularly. Sandra told me that the hostel in-charge had warned her that she would be sent out if I spoke to the warden,” she alleged.
Sindhu claimed that Rajeev, the facility’s in-charge, had instructed Sandra not to allow her mother to speak to the warden.
She said Sandra had several problems but never disclosed them in detail.
“I thought she was facing difficulties due to the strict system there. I don’t know what the problem was. The girl who could not contact us directly had to speak through others’ phones,” she said.
Sindhu said that in the suicide note, Sandra had asked the family to take care of her younger brother.
“In the letter, she said she was going to commit a mistake and asked us to take care of her brother,” she said.
Demanding a proper investigation, Sindhu said, “My daughter would not do such a thing. We need justice.” She said Sandra often described the hostel as a jail and was desperate to return home.
Sandra’s father, Ravi, also said his daughter had once expressed her unwillingness to continue at the SAI hostel.
“She said the authorities were not good and that things were not like before,” he said.
He alleged that after the incident on Thursday, they received a call from SAI officials asking either the father or the mother to come, without giving details.
He said the police informed them around 9.30 am to reach Kollam in a vehicle and informed them about the death.
SAI authorities, in a statement issued after the incident, said an inquiry was underway.
Meanwhile, Kollam East Police, which registered a case of unnatural death, said a detailed probe was being conducted.
Police officials said statements of hostel inmates, school authorities, and relatives would be recorded in the coming days. PTI TBA TBA ROH
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.