The victim, 15-year-old Sangita Aich, was a Class 9 student who had played volleyball twice at the national level and thrice at the state level. Police said the attacker, identified as Subrata Sinha (20), was reportedly furious over Aich spurning his advances several times in the recent past
A 15-year-old national volleyball player was brutally hacked to death by a spurned lover who is a senior national level player, in a volleyball coaching centre at Barasat in North 24 Parganas on Friday afternoon.
The victim, Sanghita Aich alias Tina (15), was killed by Subrata Sinha alias Raja (20).
Some 25 players and three coaches looked on in horror as Sangita Aich desperately ran towards them with the attacker at her heels, wildly hacking her with a dagger.
Sangita was stabbed in the head and neck and bled to death on the playground. A coach who tried to save her was also stabbed.
The suspect, 20-year-old Subrata Sinha, fled and is yet to be traced. Police believe Subrata was trying to force Sangita into a relationship and flew into a rage when she spurned him.
The incident took place around 4.30 p.m. on Friday when Sanghita, a class ninth student from Barasat Girls’ High School was practicing in her volleyball coaching camp at Natunpukur Volleyball Association near her Natunpukur residence.
One of the coaches, Swapan Das said to reporters, “She was sitting with us on the ground. We saw Raja entering the ground silently and called her repeatedly from a distance. But Sanghita refused to meet him every time.”
“Suddenly he rushed towards her and started threatening her with dire consequences. Sanghita also protested against him. Initially we tried to stop the quarrel but the duo continued. During altercation, suddenly I heard the screams of the girl and turned back at her to find her escaping while Raja holding a dagger was chasing her desperately,” he added.
Narrating the series of events, the coach said that he immediately rushed towards Raja and threw his chair to obstruct him but he was hit on the hand by Raja with the weapon and continued with chasing her.
“The others in the ground also tried to catch him, but the monster already caught Sanghita after chasing barely a 60 meter distance and stabbed her repeatedly while we were yet to cross barely 20 feet to reach the duo as we couldn’t save the life of a prospective volleyball player,” he said.