Basketball player suicide: She had stopped going for practice days before found dead, says neighbour

S Rohit, an AC mechanic with Indian Railways, who is the custodian of her belongings, said: “Lithara would hardly interact with us. She would speak Malayalam and I speak Tamil. She had discussed the issues she was facing with two of her colleagues living in the same building. Police have also spoken to them.”

When in Patna, she would practice at Digha Sports Complex of the Railways. Rohit said: “She had not been going for the practice for some days and was not taking calls of her coach. A colleague of her at the Danapur DRM’s office where she worked as a junior clerk in the accounts section told us.”

Her houseowner Kamta Singh said: “She shifted to my house last December and I rarely saw her. She would interact with some families from southern part of the country.” Singh’s family lives on the first floor of the house while Lithara’s room was on the second floor.

Rajiv Nagar police station in-charge Neeraj Kumar told The Indian Express: “We found a suicide note written in Malayalam from her belongings. The note does not mention harassment or assault. It only says that she used to be a good basketball player earlier and had earned respect of peers and colleagues, but was not doing well…Her coach is yet to appear before us. Only his wife has spoken to us.”

“As of now, it is an abetment to suicide case. We have spoken to Lithara’s colleagues and neighbours and are trying to dig out more,” said the police officer.

In the police complaint on April 27, Lithara’s maternal uncle Rajeevan had alleged harassment by her coach.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also written to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar, asking for a “comprehensive and fair” investigation.