'Ensure Thorough Probe Into Death Of Basketball Player Lithara': Kerala CM Pinarayi Writes To Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

Lithara Suicide: Three days ago, Lithara (23), a basketball player and a railway employee from Kerala, was found dead at her apartment in Gandhi Nagar of Patna.

The deceased basketball player Lithara | Credit: Special Arrangement

Chennai: Three days after the body of a Keralite basketball player and employee of Indian Railways team Lithara was recovered from her flat in Patna, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan wrote to his Bihar counterpart Nitish Kumar seeking a fair and a thorough probe into Lithara’s death. Pinarayi also said that Lithara’s relatives brought to his notice that she did not have any circumstances that would have led her to suicide.

In a letter to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Pinarayi said, "I write this letter to invite your kind attention to the unfortunate incident of the untimely death of Lithara, a native of Kozhikode District in Kerala, who is employed in Indian Railways in Patna."

"She was a Basket Ball player and her relatives have requested for a thorough probe into the incident of her untimely death. It has been brought to my attention by one of her relatives that in their opinion no circumstances existed which would have led to Lithara's 'suicide'," he said.

Further, Pinarayi Vijayan requested his counterpart to instruct the officials concerned to conduct a comprehensive and fair investigation into the matter in order to address the concerns Lithara's kin.

Three days ago, Lithara (23) was found dead at her apartment in Gandhi Nagar of Patna. The police also allegedly recovered a suicide note near her body written in Malayalam. The Patna police also booked an FIR with charges of abetment to suicide against the basketball coach.

Following this, the police sent her body to Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences for autopsy. 

Meanwhile, Lithara was an employee at Divisional Railway Manager's office in Danapur for the last six months and even recently she received an honour by East Central Railway for International Women's Day, said a report on Manorama.