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18-year-old sprinter commits suicide at Delhi’s Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium

The Sports Authority of India, which runs the academy, has ordered an internal inquiry following the incident.

18-year-old sprinter commits suicide at Delhi’s Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium

(Photo: iStock)

Sprinter Palendra Chaudhary, 18, who had represented India at international events, allegedly committed suicide inside the athletics academy at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium where he was staying.

He had been taken to Delhi’s Safdarjung hospital by his coach and academy staff on Wednesday morning where he was declared dead on arrival, police said.

The body of Palendra Chaudhary was found hanging from the ceiling fan inside his hostel room in the morning.

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“The hospital informed the police. During the probe, we found out that Chaudhary was staying in that hostel since November 2016. He was being trained for the 100 and 200 metres race,” an IANS report quoted Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijayanta Arya as saying.

“No suicide note was found. The reason for the suicide is not clear. His father who stays in Aligrah in Uttar Pradesh has been informed,” she said.

The Sports Authority of India, which runs the academy, has ordered an internal inquiry following the incident.

“We have ordered a departmental inquiry as the incident happened in our premises. The inquiry will be headed by Secretary SAI Swarn Singh Chabra and it should be completed within a week,” SAI Director General Neelam Kapur told PTI.

Kapur also said the reason behind his suicide could be the monetary issues in his family. “Preliminary it seems a family matter related to monetary issues. What we came to know is that the boy had an argument with his father in the morning on phone after which his sister came to meet him in evening,” she added.

The SAI D-G also said, “He took the step in front of his sister after threatening her. She came out screaming and our staff immediately went there and brought him down,”

The deceased had represented India in 100 and 200 metres races at the international level and also in the Youth Asia Athletics meet in Bangkok in 2017.

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