M A I N   N E W S

Tests say athlete Pinki is male; faces rape charge

Barasat (WB), November 12
Asian Games gold medallist Pinki Pramanik, who was embroiled in a controversy surrounding her gender, was today charged with rape and cheating by the police after medical tests established that the athlete is a male.

The police action came after it submitted in a court a medical report on the gender determination tests which showed that Pinki, now on bail, is a male.

Additional Public Prosecutor Santomoy Bose said after the hearing: "I have seen the report...from the doctors' opinion it can be concluded that Pinki is a male."

Based on the report of the medical test done by a board of doctors at the state-run SSKM hospital in Kolkata, the police filed a chargesheet against Pinki charging the athlete with rape and cheating as well as accusing her of holding 
out threats.

Pinki’s live-in partner Anamika Acharya said she was a male and had raped her, which led to Pinki's arrest on June 14 and an order for medical examination to confirm the gender was issued.

The former middle-distance runner, who won the 4x400 m relay gold in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, was freed from jail on July 11 pending disposal of all cases.

Pinki's earlier reports of gender tests were inconclusive both at a private nursing home at Barasat as well as at Barasat general hospital. The case was referred to the state-run SSKM hospital, but facility for chromosome pattern test was unavailable there too. Later, the test was concluded at Hyderabad, police said.

The athlete's arrest and imprisonment earlier sparked an outcry across the state over gender discrimination and the manner of conducting the tests. — PTI