More torture for Pinki: MMS of alleged gender test goes viral

Even as Asiad gold medallist runner Pinki Pramanik fights a legal battle after accused of being a male and arrested for alleged rape, an MMS showing the athlete completely naked and undergoing tests at a private nursing home has gone viral online.

The 29-second clip was reportedly circulated after Pinki underwent a gender verification test at a private nursing home in North 24 Parganas district where the sprinter was taken subsequent to her arrest June 14.

"I have heard about the video clip, though I am yet to see it. Those responsible for making the clip must be immediately arrested for such a heinous act. The matter needs to be reported to the police but at the moment Pinki is behind bars and no one from her family is available to file a report," Pinki's counsel Tuhin Roy told IANS.

Roy said he will raise the matter before the court notice at the next hearing July 12.

Meanwhile the police have maintained that they can act only if there is an official complaint.

"I spoke to police about the matter but was told that they could only act after a first information report (FIR) is filed.

"I have never been subjected to such humiliation and harassment in my life," said Pinki after she had to come yet again to the government run SSKM Hospital Monday to give blood samples for a chromosomal test.

The treatment meted out to the athlete has attracted severe criticism from several renowned sportspersons.

"Pinki is (a) woman until proven otherwise, but male police officers have been escorting her and at times dragging her out from the van. This is absolutely deplorable," former national women's swimming champion Bula Chowdhury said.

Another Asiad gold medalist Jyotirmoyee Sikdar echoing Chowdhury views said: "It is a shame that even after so many days, the test results are inconclusive. Why is she still being kept behind bars?"

The athlete has twice undergone gender determination tests in two different government hospitals but on both the occasions the tests were inconclusive.

"In the name of gender test, Pinki is being taken from one hospital to another, which has been causing her mental trauma and physical harassment," Pramanik's counsel Tuhin Roy said.

An 11-member medical board consisting of doctors from the government-run SSKM Hospital was constituted and conducted several tests on Pinki June 25. However, due to the lack of facilities, Karyotyping- a chromosomal test- could not be carried out.

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

Pramanik was arrested June 14 and remanded in 14 days' judicial custody by a court June 15 after the athlete's live-in 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.

Subsequent to the arrest, Pramanik was taken to a private nursing home for a medical check-up where the test reports claimed that the former top notch 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 4x400 metres relay at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, 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 following her remand in judicial custody.