Pro-Kabaddi league player arrested over wife's suicide, father surrenders

Mumbai: National-level kabaddi player Rohit Kumar was on Friday arrested in Mumbai while his father surrendered in Delhi in connection with the alleged suicide by his wife Lalita who had accused him and her in-laws of harassment.

Rohit, who is in the navy, was detained by a team of Delhi Police in Mumbai at noon, said Dependra Pathak, Joint Commissioner of Police (South West) in Delhi

Rohit's father, Vijay Singh, also surrendered around noon at the Nangloi police station in the national capital and was questioned, said a senior police officer.

Vijay was a sub-inspector in Delhi Police and had been dismissed from service, he said. A Delhi court sent Vijay Singh to 14-day judicial custody.

27-year-old Lalita had left behind a two-hour long audio message and a 25-minute long video in which she claimed that her in-laws "harrased" her for minor issues.

"In the video and audio messages she left behind on her phone, she said that her in-laws were quite conservative and would often taunt her for her "modern" outlook and things like 'pallu' falling from her head and other minor things. She also said that while Rohit was away in Mumbai, they kept her in Delhi," a police officer had officer said.

In her suicide note and messages, she alleged that on October 15, Rohit told her that if she "goes away" from his life, he would be very happy. He dropped her halfway to her home and left, she alleged. She said the act of Rohit was traumatic for her, police said.

The kabaddi player will be produced in a Mumbai court where police will seek his transit remand to Delhi for further investigation, he said.

In a video message released on Facebook yesterday, 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.

He said that he "loved his wife" and wants the truth to come out.

"I have played for the country and have never harmed anyone. The person, I loved the most, has left me forever... Whatever happens, I want the truth to come out. After that, I will also go my baavri (referring to his deceased wife). I don't want to live," he said in the video.

A case was registered against Rohit and his parents and two Delhi Police teams had been formed to arrest Rohit and his parents.

Rohit's parents had left their home in Kanjhawla and gone into hiding after Lalita committed suicide.