Athlete Pinki Pramanik's gender test inconclusive

The gender of Asian Games gold medalist Pinki Pramanik could not be established at the Barasat General Hospital on Tuesday as it did not have the facilities, and the case was sought to be referred to the better equipped SSKM Hospital in Kolkata.

"There was ambiguity in the reports we got. We don't have the facilities for chromosome and hormone tests. We did the ultrasonography, but all the tests could not be done", Chief Medical Officer of North 24 Parganas district Dr Sukanta Sil said after Pramanik's medical tests lasting about three hours.

X-ray, scan and blood samples could not be taken because of lack of proper facilities at the Barasat General Hospital, where the athlete was taken.

"We are making a plea to the chief judicial magistrate that the case should be referred to the SSKM Hospital. Being the state's referral hospital, SSKM has better facilities. So the tests should be done there", said Sil who headed a seven-member medical team.

The report has to be submitted to the court by June 29.

Pramanik is in judicial custody accused of rape and of being 'male'.

Pramanik, who won the 4x400m relay gold in the 2006 Doha Asian Games, was arrested on June 14 after being accused of multiple sexual assault and misrepresentation of gender by a 30-year-old estranged woman who had a live-in relationship with the athlete for two years.

The middle distance runner, who had won five gold medals and one silver between 2005 and 2006, officially retired the next year, but there were reports that the athlete was not allowed in a Madurai national meet because of 'excessive male hormones'.