PUDUKOTTAI: The residents of athlete S Santhi's Kathakurichi village have received with dismay and disbelief the news about the athlete being stripped of her Asian Games silver medal following a failed gender test.

Santhi's younger sister Sarala wept over the "tragedy" that has befallen her elder sibling.

Recalling the pride and happiness with which her parents had received the news of Santhi's achievement, Sarala said she had never dreamt of such a turn of events.

Santhi's father asked why the gender issue had not come up earlier when she had won medals in other events.

Santhi's sisters, Sarala and Janaki who had gone to their uncle's house at Karaikudi to watch the felicitation function at the CM's residence on television, on Tuesday returned to the village struck with despair.

The festive mood of the otherwise sleepy town has suddenly given way to despair with people not ready to accept the turn of events.

They viewed the stripping of the medal as a "grave injustice" meted out to their "daughter" and suspected "foul play" and "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing her image.

"She had made the entire village proud. We know her from childhood. She is like any other girl in the locality. There is nothing unusual about her other than that she is hardworking," 60-year-old Muthulakshmi said.

"This is a conspiracy by some vested interests," she alleged.

President of the Kathakurichi village, N Suryamurthy appealed to Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to take steps to restore the medal to Santhi, who has done not only the village but also the state proud through her achievement.

He also expressed happiness over Karunanidhi's decision to reward the young talent even after coming to know about the gender test.

The villagers, on hearing the news on Monday, had attempted to block roads in protest following which six among them were taken into police custody.