Sex determination test on Pinki Pramanik yet to be held

Kolkata: A sex determination test on Asian Games gold medalist Pinki Pramanik, who is in judicial custody accused of rape and of being a `male`, could not take place on Monday with the police insisting it take place in jail, while a government medical team was formed during the day.

Police sources said that the test should take place at the Dum Dum Correctional Home where Pramanik, on a 14-day remand, has been kept in a separate cell. "There is a lot of hype over the case. Taking her to the hospital will only add to it. It would be better if it is conducted in the cell", the sources said. Meanwhile, a seven member medical team was formed during the day headed by the Chief Medical Officer of North 24 Parganas district Dr Sukanta Sil. Dr Sil said a plea has been made to the the chief judicial magistrate to allow the athlete to be tested at the Barasat General Hospital. "We hope to get the nod for the test to be done at the Barasat Hospital which is fully equipped for the gender determination test", the CMO said. The report has to be submitted to the court by June 23. Eastern Railway yesterday suspended the 27-year-old who worked as a ticket collector. Pramanik, who won the 4x400m relay gold in the Doha Asian Games 2010, was arrested on June 14 after being accused of multiple sexual assault and misrepresentation of gender by a 30-year-old woman who had a live-in relationship with the athlete for two years after being estranged from her husband. 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`. PTI