Two teenage sports trainees were found hanging in a room at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) women's hostel in Kerala's Kollam, on Thursday morning (January 15), prompting a police investigation into the suspected suicides.
The deceased were identified as Sandra, a 17-year-old student from Kozhikode district training in athletics, and Vaishnavi, a 15-year-old Class 10 student from Thiruvananthapuram district specialising in kabaddi. Both were residents of the SAI hostel and part of its sports training program.
Discovery of bodies
The incident surfaced around 5:00 am when the girls failed to appear for morning training. Hostel authorities knocked repeatedly on Sandra's room door with no response, then broke it open to find both hanging from ceiling fans. Vaishnavi, who normally stayed in a separate room, had spent the previous night (Wednesday) in Sandra's room; other inmates had seen them early that morning.
Police response and investigation
Kollam East Police registered a case and launched a probe, with City Police Commissioner and senior officials arriving promptly. No suicide note was found, and the cause of death remains undetermined pending post-mortem results. Statements from fellow trainees, trainers, and relatives are being recorded as the investigation continues.
