Pro-kabaddi player, father arrested for wife’s death

National-level kabaddi player Rohit Kumar and his father were arrested on Friday in connection with the alleged suicide by the former’s wife, Lalita, who had accused him and her in-laws of harassment. Rohit, who is in the Navy, was detained and later arrested by a team of Delhi police in Mumbai Friday afternoon.

“The kabaddi player, who represents Bengaluru Bulls in the Pro-Kabaddi League, will be produced in a Mumbai court where the police will seek his transit remand to Delhi for further investigation,” said a senior police official.

Rohit’s father, Vijay Singh, also surrendered himself around noon and was arrested at the Nangloi police station, Delhi. Vijay was a sub-inspector in Delhi police and had been dismissed from service.

The police have found two voice recordings in Lalita’s phone. In the recording she said that she was suffering because her husband used to beat her up for not bringing in sufficient dowry. Her father-in-law also harassed her and it had become unbearable.

Lalita was married to Rohit in March this year. Her ordeal began after she came to her husband’s house.

Senior police official said that Lalita was beaten up quite often by her father-in-law and husband. “Three days after her marriage, she was beaten up by her father-in-law and later by her husband too. As per the recording, it seems that the reasons for the beating were dowry and her different lifestyle compared to the accused family,” said the official.

Meanwhile, in a video message released on Facebook on Thursday, Rohit sobbed and pleaded innocence. “I have never made any demand for dowry and my father-in-law knows it. I will cooperate with the police in the investigation,” he said.

A case was registered against Rohit and his parents and two Delhi police teams had been formed to arrest Rohit and his parents. His parents had left their home in Kanjhawla and gone into hiding after Lalita committed suicide.