Pinki's gender test report reaches hospital

Kolkata, July 9 – The reports of a chromosomal test to determine the gender of Asiad gold medallist runner Pinki Pramanik, accused of rape, Monday reached the SSKM Hospital and would be presented in a West Bengal court Tuesday, an official said.

The blood sample of Pramanik, who has been accused of being a male and currently under judicial custody, was sent to an undisclosed location by the Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial Hospital (SSKM) authorities July 2.

“The reports of karyotyping – a chromosomal test – to determine Pinki’s gender was received by us today (Monday) in a sealed envelop. The reports will be produced before the court of chief judicial magistrate, Barasat, (North 24 Parganas),” Seth Sukhlal Karnani Memorial (SSKM) Hospital Superintendent T.K. Ghosh told IANS.

Ghosh refused to divulge the result of the test.

An 11-member medical board, consisting doctors from the government-run hospital, conducted several tests on Pramanik June 25. However, due to the lack of facilities, the karyotyping could not be carried out.

The athlete’s June 19 test at another government hospital in North 24 Parganas district also was inconclusive, following which the athlete was referred to the SSKM Hospital.

Pramanik was arrested June 14 and has been in judicial custody since then after the athlete’s livein partner, a divorcee and a mother of one, filed a police complaint accusing the athlete of being a male who repeatedly “raped and tortured” her.

After the arrest, Pramanik was taken to a private nursing home for a medical check-up where the test reports claimed that the former athlete was indeed a male.

Pramanik, however, claimed innocence and said it was a conspiracy.

Pramanik, who retired from athletics three years ago, won gold in the 4×400 metres relay at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha in Qatar. The runner was a silver medallist at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games the same year.

The Eastern Railway, with which the athlete is a ticket collector, suspended Pramanik June 16 after she was sent to judicial custody in the alleged rape case.

A public interest litigation alleging the human rights violation of Pramanik was filed before the Calcutta High Court seeking the athlete’s release.

The state human rights commission has also sought a report from the West Bengal government about the alleged harassment of the athlete.