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

July 3, 2012
pinki-mms_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.



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News Network
March 22,2024

IPL.jpg

The start of the world’s most lucrative cricket tournament in India is presenting investors with another big opportunity to cash in on the sport, months after the world’s most populous nation hosted the Cricket World Cup.

The eight-week long Indian Premier League begins March 22 for its 17th season. Since its inception, the fast-paced cricket tournament has become a corporate juggernaut to rival the National Football League in the US and the English Premier League in value.

Just as October’s Cricket World Cup boosted consumption in India for months, fans are expected to flock to restaurants, pubs and food delivery platforms over the duration of the tournament. This year’s IPL also coincides with general elections that will last for six weeks starting April 19, a period when companies are expecting higher food and drink sales as people flock to rallies and other events.

“There’s going to be a lot of spending,” said Madan Sabnavis, chief economist at Bank of Baroda. “IPL, as well as the election, gives a three-month corridor with enhanced economic activity.”

Stocks in India such as McDonald’s franchise operator Westlife Foodworld Ltd. and peer Sapphire Foods India Ltd. gained ahead of the first match on Friday, as well as hotels and beverage makers. Packaged-food companies could also stand to benefit from the IPL craze, said Sachil Bobade, an analyst at investment firm Dolat Capital Market.

The IPL ecosystem was valued at $11 billion (Rs 91,721 crores) in 2023, including the value of media rights and sponsorships, according to Indian valuation consulting firm D&P Advisory.

The league is also attracting record sums of money from sponsors and broadcasters. Conglomerate Tata Group won the title sponsorship rights of the tournament in January for a record 25 billion rupees ($300 million). Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s media venture secured the digital streaming rights in 2022 for five years for $2.7 billion, while Walt Disney Co. paid roughly the same for TV rights.

“There was a serious amount of bidding even this year,” said Vinit Karnik, head of entertainment, esports and sports at media agency GroupM South Asia. “I see growth in IPL in double digits year-on-year,” he adds.

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