Two days after being attacked by a group of men with iron rods and hockey sticks for confronting their unruly behaviour at a wedding, national-level Indian para-athlete Rohit Dhankar has succumbed to his injuries.
As per the details, 28-year-old Dhankar on the night of November 27 went to attend a wedding at a family member’s residence in Haryana’s Rewari Khera village.
As the ceremony took place, some guests from the groom’s side allegedly behaved in an unruly manner, to which Dhankar objected.
Jatin, Dhankar’s friend who accompanied him, said that the initial confrontation was settled after his brother-in-law stepped in. However, while returning to Rohtak about an hour later, the same group intercepted their vehicle.
“I told them, let’s talk tomorrow. But by then, they managed to open the passenger seat window where Rohit was sitting. They then smashed the window on my side with an iron rod. I drove away, but they started chasing after,” Jatin said.
He said the attackers forced the car to stop at a railway crossing, surrounding it. “One of their cars was in front of us, and three were behind our car. They caught hold of Rohit while I managed to escape,” he added.
While Dhankar was initially taken to Bhiwani General Hospital, he was later transferred to Rohtak where he succumbed to the injuries over the weekend.
Authorities have so far detained six suspects and confiscated one of the vehicles used in the attack. The investigating officer, Devendra Kumar, said the group of men acted under the influence of alcohol and the assault took place around 11:30 pm.
Rohit Dhankar was a two-time junior para national recordholder and a seven-time senior para national champion. He also represented India internationally in para powerlifting and worked as a gym trainer.