The three female trainees of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) who were discharged from Government T.D. Medical College Hospital on Friday have raised serious allegations against their seniors at the girls’ hostel of the Water Sports Centre at Punnamada.
The girls told presspersons that they and the trainee who died a few weeks ago were subjected to mental and physical torture by a few seniors, who were named during the interaction.
“We were constantly ragged by the seniors. There have been several instances where we have been made to perform laborious tasks.
They have also been ill-treating us by forcing us to wash their clothes, including their undergarments, and massage their feet.
“We have complained to the authorities concerned on several occasions, but to no avail.
The hostel warden had scant regard for our welfare, and had advised us to obey the seniors and do as they commanded. At our wits’ end, we were driven to take the extreme step of ending our lives,” they said.
They also claimed that the deceased athlete was cruelly beaten and traumatised on various occasions.
“Unfortunately, she is no longer among us to narrate her ordeal,” the girls said, and broke down.
At the same time, they denied the allegations that they were harassed by their coach Paulose P. Thomas. “The hostel had become a living hell due to the torture of the seniors.
Our plight has made it impossible to continue to train under the SAI. We had joined the SAI with the hope of having successful careers and overcoming the financial hurdles our families faced,” they said.
The girls said they had not been visited by any of the officials of the SAI.
Say repeated complaints were to no avail