Asian Games gold medallist and Arjuna awardee Swapna Barman's life has been upended ever since her defeat as a candidate of the Trinamool Congress in the recently concluded Assembly polls.

On Friday night, a mysterious fire broke out at her old house, which left her deeply shaken. Swapna alleged that goons had set fire to the house.

On Saturday, Swapna went alone to lodge a complaint with Kotwali police in Jalpaiguri. No Trinamool leader accompanied her to the police station.

Swapna, who lost to the BJP's Dinesh Sarkar by a margin of over 21,000 votes from the Raiganj Assembly seat, had sacrificed her railway job to enter active politics.

On Saturday afternoon, Jalpaiguri Trinamool district president Mohua Gope, Trinamool veteran Prakash Chik Baraik and Kamtapur leader Ashtami Roy visited Swapna at her residence.

"According to the instructions of our leaders, Mohua Gope and I met Swapna. Anybody can be defeated in an election, but we all should remember that Swapna is an asset to our nation,” Prakash said.

Gope said she had requested the Jalpaiguri SP to investigate the fire incident thoroughly.

“I requested the SP to investigate who is responsible for the fire incident. I have also appealed for sufficient security for Swapna,” Gope said.

Swapna, who joined Trinamool this February, had replaced veteran Trinamool MLA Khageswar Roy as the party candidate from the Rajganj seat.

Sources close to the athlete said she has kept aloof from all party activities after the fire incident. Some Trinamool leaders in Jalpaiguri charged Swapna with not responding to their phone calls.

In reply, Swapna said: “ Right now, I am worried about the safety and security of my family.”

“I could not realise politics is so painful. Otherwise, I would not have entered politics,” an upset Swapna said.

According to local sources, some relatives and neighbours distanced themselves from her after the election defeat, which affected her emotionally.

Asked whether she would now return fully to sports or continue in politics, Swapna said: “I have always been in the field of sports, but politics is different. I know how to struggle and become successful. Let me think about what to do in the coming days.”

“Her well-wishers have advised her to return to sports,” a close associate said.

Associates close to Swapna said the athlete is likely to face financial difficulties after losing both her railway job and the Assembly election. She has also missed two qualifying rounds for the upcoming Asian Games scheduled in August this year, meaning she may now have to wait another two years for a chance to compete again at the event.

Amarnath K., the Jalpaiguri SP, said the police had initiated an investigation into the fire incident. "We have started investigating the fire incident and are keeping a close watch on her house and surrounding areas,” the SP said.