Sports Authority of India investigating officer’s transfer flayed

ALAPPUZHA: The transfer of the of Crime Branch DySP, who was investigating into the suicide of an athlete at the Sports Authority of India’s Punnamada centre, has been criticised by the action council formed following the incident on May 6.

The transfer came as the probe into the incident had reached the final stage. Mr Anil Bose, action council chairman, said that they had no faith in the probe by the CB, which was reluctant to register a case against the senior athletes for abetting the suicide as per the statement of the disgruntled athletes.

“There has been a conspiracy to cover up the facts and save the senior athletes. The transfer order also is part of this. We will organise protests, including a secretariat march, till the culprits are brought to book,” he said.

However, the distinct police chief said the transfer was only a routine procedure. In the preliminary investigation report submitted to the district police chief on June 2, the CB had made it clear that no evidence had been found to register a case against the seniors.

The report had said that the statements of the survivors before the police and the magistrate were contradictory. “The athletes told the magistrate that they had consumed beer, but they denied it to the investigation team. The senior students had questioned them for having beer. But there was no proof against the seniors for abetment of suicide,” the report said.