A woman cricketer from Odisha, Rajashree Swain, was found dead in a forest near Cuttack city on Friday, according to police. She had been missing since January 11th.
The body was discovered hanging from a tree in the Gurudijhatia forest in the Athagarh area, with Cuttack’s Deputy Commissioner of Police Pinak Mishra stating that a case of unnatural death will be registered with the Gurudijhatia police station. The cause of death is currently being investigated.
Swain’s coach had filed a missing person complaint with the Mangalabag police station in Cuttack on Thursday. Her scooter was found abandoned near the forest and her mobile phone was switched off, leading to suspicions of foul play. Her family members have alleged that she was murdered, citing injury marks on her body and damage to her eyes.
According to her family, around 25 women cricketers, including Rajashree, were part of a training camp organized by the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) in Bajrakabati for an upcoming national-level cricket tournament scheduled to be held in Puducherry. The Odisha state women’s cricket team was announced on January 10th, but Rajashree did not make the final list. On the day of her disappearance, she had informed her coach that she was going to Puri to meet her father