Sports department, CCL order separate probes into teenage athlete’s death

Ranchi: The state sports directorate and the management of Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) on Monday claimed to have launched two separate probes into the death of a female tribal athlete at the Jharkhand State Sports Promotion Society (JSSPS) academy in Hotwar on Sunday.
“A five-member committee headed by the deputy director has been constituted to probe the death of athlete Anjali Oraon. The committee has been directed to furnish its report within 24 hours,” state sports director Sarojini Lakra told TOI.
PM Prasad, the chairman-cum-managing director of CCL, said: “An internal committee of the CCL has been constituted to probe the issue.”
Anjali (15), a 2021-batch aspiring track-and-field athlete from Lohardaga, complained of being unwell on Saturday. On Sunday morning, she vomited and her health worsened. She was being taken to CCL’s Gandhinagar Hospital in Kanke but died en route. Anjali’s body was taken to Rims for autopsy and handed over to her family members on Sunday evening.
JSSPS residential academy, founded in May 2015, is jointly managed by the state government and the CCL management. Under CCL’s CSR initiative, the academy offers coaching to budding sportspersons across various disciplines. Operating out of Khelgaon Sports Complex in Hotwar, it currently has 434 athletes.
Angry over Anjali’s death, boarders scaled the boundary wall of the complex and hit the streets in protest late on Sunday night. The students marched towards Rims and managed to reach the hospital campus as police officials and JSSPS management failed to quell their anger. Around 1.30 am on Monday, the students were taken back to their hostels by the management.
“Anjali had written a test on Friday and was absolutely fine till then. She complained of being unwell and was given paracetamol by the hostel warden. She was being taken to the hospital when she died. The cause of her death can only be ascertained through autopsy, which is expected on Tuesday. We will also share the autopsy report with Ranchi administration,” Prasad said.
JSSPS cadets held a prayer meeting at the academy on Monday evening. Kiran Oraon, Anjali’s elder sister, demanded that the family be given a government job on compassionate grounds.
BJP state president Deepak Prakash criticised the Hemant Soren government over Anjali’s death. “The girl came to the academy with the d’ream of winning a medal for India but lost her life. The incident shows the Soren government's insensitivity towards athletes,” Prakash tweeted. CPI demanded an independent probe into the incident.