Kollam , 15 Jan (H.S.):Two young female sportspersons were found dead inside their room at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Kollam on Thursday morning, triggering shock and grief among fellow athletes, staff members, and the local sporting community.
The deceased were students of Plus Two and Class 10, both undergoing residential sports training at the hostel run by the Sports Authority of India. One of the girls hailed from Thiruvananthapuram district, while the other was a native of Kozhikode district. Their identities are being withheld as part of standard procedure.
According to police sources, the incident came to light around 5 a.m. when the hostel warden and fellow students arrived to call the girls for their routine early-morning practice session. Despite repeated knocks, there was no response from the room. Growing suspicious, the staff forced open the door, only to find both students hanging from ceiling fans inside the room.
Emergency services and police were immediately alerted. The bodies were later shifted for post-mortem examination, which is expected to provide further clarity on the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Preliminary observations indicate suicide, but officials have stated that the exact cause and sequence of events are yet to be established.
The City Police Commissioner, along with senior police officials, visited the hostel soon after the incident. A detailed investigation has been initiated, including the examination of the room, questioning of hostel staff and students, and scrutiny of the girls’ recent activities, interactions, and academic or training-related pressures.
Police officials said no suicide note has been recovered so far, and there is currently no clear indication of what may have driven the two students to take the extreme step. All possible angles are being examined, officials said.
Counselling support has been arranged for other hostel inmates, many of whom are reported to be in a state of distress following the tragedy.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman
