Pinki alleges police atrocities on her in custody

Calcutta, July 11 (PTI): Asian Games gold medallist Pinki Pramanik, who on Wednesday walked out of jail after spending 26 days in custody on charges of rape, alleged that police had tied her hands and legs and forcibly conducted the gender determination test on her. The retired middle-distance runner, who was released from the Dum Dum Central Jail after a Barasat court gave her bail on Tuesday, said she kept on crying and resisted the gender test but nobody listened to her. "They tied my hands and legs and took me to a private nursing home for the tests. I kept on crying and resisted but nobody listened to me," Pinki alleged. Pramanik was arrested on June 14 after she was accused of being a male by her live-in partner, a 30-year-old estranged woman who also alleged that she was raped by Pramanik. Maintaining that she was being framed in the rape case, the 4x400m relay gold medallist in Doha Asiad claimed, "She (the complainant) used to do my chores. She had demanded money from me long back, but I did not give for which she took this path." Pinki, who broke down while speaking to reporters, said she would speak to her lawyers on taking steps in getting justice. A PIL was moved in the Calcutta High Court on July 6 alleging inhuman torture on the athlete. The court has directed the West Bengal government to file an affidavit within two weeks on the progress of the investigation. The West Bengal Human Rights Commission has also stepped in and directed the Home, Health and Police departments to inquire into the allegations of 'torture' on the athlete in police and jail custody. Pinki thanked sports persons who had held protests to highlight the treatment meted out to her by authorities. The next hearing in the case is scheduled on Thursday wherein the karyotyping test report (chromosome pattern) will be submitted at the district court in North 24 Parganas, Roy said.