On 9 October 2001, [1] Pratima Gaonkar, a young Indian intersex athlete and swimmer, was found dead in a well in Goa. The cause was identified as death by suicide; this was in turn was caused by Gaonkar's reaction to the disclosure and public commentary surrounding a failed sex verification test. [2] [3] [4] Gaonkar was reportedly the subject of blackmail attempts, including an accusation by her mother that her coach was accusing her. [5]
Originally from the village of Sadgal, Goa, [2] three months prior to her death she won silver medal in the 4×400 relay in the Junior Asian Athletics Championships in Brunei. [2] [6] She had previously broken all the Goan state-level records for her discipline. [3]
In the aftermath of her death, media attention and reportage was invasive, with a press conference discussing her body in detail. [7] [8] The public discourse which surrounded her death as an intersex athlete has led to comparisons with Dutee Chand and Caster Semenya. [9]