Delhi: Sprinter Parvinder Chaudhary commits suicide at JLN Stadium, departmental probe ordered

New Delhi, Nov 14: In a shocking incident, an international athlete Parvinder Chaudhary allegedly committed suicide in athletics academy at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru stadium on Tuesday (November 13) evening.

Chaudhary, an 18-year-old sprinter, allegedly hung himself from a ceiling fan inside his hostel room in athletics academy at the stadium. The Sports Authority of India has ordered a departmental probe into the matter.

A SAI official said he was informed that an argument broke out between Chaudhary and his father over the phone on Tuesday.

"I was told he had an argument on phone with his father in the morning yesterday. Later his sister came to talk to him too. Unfortunately, we could not save him despite our best efforts," a Sports Authority of India official was quoted by ANI as saying.

I was told he had an argument on phone with his father in the morning yesterday. Later his sister came to talk to him too.Unfortunately, we could not save him despite our best efforts: Official,Sports Authority of India on sprinter Parvinder Chaudhary allegedly committing suicide

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2018

As per reports, the sprinter was rushed to the hospital in the evening where the doctors declared him 'brain dead. Chaudhary, who hailed from Aligarh, was recently selected to the Army through sports quota. As per police, no suicide note has been recovered from his room.

"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.

His fellow trainees and staff at the stadium were shocked as the athlete showed no signs of depression while training through the day.

Kapur said, "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. 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."

Parvinder, who was residing in room No.69 of JLN Stadium hostel since November 2016 and was training for 100 and 200 metre races, came back to his room at 5.30 in the evening and committed suicide half an hour later. "It is a very sad and tragic incident. We are extending all possible help to the family and have arranged for the transportation of his body to Aligarh.

"Our officers will also accompany his body to ensure smooth conduct of his last rites." Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who is in Rajasthan, has been informed and he has expressed his grief on the incident. In 2017, he was selected for the Asian Youth Championship in Bangkok and won a gold medal in relay. He also participated at the World Youth Championship last July.

"He was alive when he was taken to Safdarjung but was brain dead and doctors couldn't revive him. After initial treatment, he was taken to the hospital half an hour later. He was in emergency," another SAI official said.

He added, "His room mate and all the trainees and staff at JLN stadium were completely surprised by his act as the entire day he trained and showed no signs of depression.

"Nobody knows the reason why he took such a step. All top SAI officials are in Safdarjung just to ensure the postmortem is done at the earliest and body is handed over to his family at the earliest. It is now a police case and they will investigate into it."

(With inputs from agencies)