District Police Chief (Kollam City) Kiran Narayanan has ordered a probe into the tragic deaths of two teenage athletes at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel here.
A six-member special investigation team has been formed under the supervision of Kollam ACP S. Sherif which will be led by Kollam East Circle Inspector Pushpakumar. The team has already begun recording statements from fellow trainees and hostel staff, focussing on the contents of suicide notes recovered from the victims’ clothing during the police inquest.
The victims, 17-year-old Sandra from Kozhikode and 15-year-old Vyshnavi from Thiruvananthapuram, were found dead in their third-floor room early Thursday morning. The incident came to light around 5 a.m. when fellow students, waking up for morning practice, found the door locked from inside. When the girls failed to respond, the hostel warden and other inmates forced the door open. District authorities, including the Collector and District Police Chief (Kollam City) reached the spot to oversee the legal proceedings and scientific evidence collection.
Five counsellors were deployed to the hostel immediately following the incident to provide mental health assistance to the 80 trainees residing there. These sessions are scheduled to continue in the coming days.
In response to the tragedy and subsequent allegations against the institution’s administration, the District Police Chief has mandated a rigorous safety audit of all facilities housing minors within the city, including schools, orphanages, and coaching centres. Station House Officers have been directed to inspect these locations personally to identify security gaps and provide necessary sensitisation training to wardens and staff to prevent such incidents in future.
