Bhubaneswar: In a new twist in the mysterious death of woman cricketer Rajasree Swain, her family members have alleged that she was chosen for a job in Odisha police, but some influential people conspired to scuttle her prospects.
Family members of Rajasree claimed that she had been selected for post of constable in the police for which the required certificates about her educational qualification were also submitted.
However, some influential people in the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) hatched a conspiracy against Rajasree to prevent her from getting the job, they alleged.
Stating that the 26-year-old cricketer had visited home 4 to 5 months ago, her sister Jayasree claimed that Rajasree had informed the family about her getting the job. However, some people appeated to have conspired against her and her appointment was stalled, she alleged.
The family members also alleged that Rajasree had threatened to file a case against OCA recently before she was excluded from the team, but the all-rounder died under mysterious circumstances.
The fresh development comes slosely after a letter, purportedly written by the woman cricketer was recovered from the dickey of the scooter found abandoned near the site where she was found hanging.
According to sources, she reportedly held two people responsible, including a coach and former OCA member, for her death.
Rajasree 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 starts in Puducherry from January 18. Her coach Pushpanajli Banerjee lodged a missing person complaint at the Mangalabag police station when she did not reach home and her phone was found switched off.
Locals spotted a scooter and helmet on the Bramhanabast-Kapursingh forest road on January 12 and informed police, which started searching for her and later found her hanging from a tree on January 13.
Though the police suspect it to be a case of suicide, family members of Rajasree, a right-arm fast bowler and a middle-order batter, 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. “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 the media.
OCA CEO, Subrat Behera, however, clarified that there were no irregularities in the selection.
Rajashree had been playing for the state team since 2014 but was dropped in the 2021-22 season.
