Babita Phogat's cousin commits suicide

Tribune News Service

Hisar, March 18

A budding wrestler, Ritika Balauda, cousin of famed wrestlers Geeta and Babita Phogat, allegedly committed suicide at their residence on Monday night.

Village sources said that Ritika, 17, was reportedly under stress after losing in the finals of a wrestling tournament in Rajasthan by a narrow margin recently. She participated in a state-level competition at Bharatpur between March 12 and 14.

Ritika was staying at the residence of Geeta and Babita for the past five years to train under her uncle Mahavir Phogat. She went to sleep in her room on Monday night and was found hanging from a ceiling fan on Tuesday morning, the sources said.

Dronacharya awardee Mahavir Phogat has trained his daughters Geeta, Babita and niece Vinesh at his wrestling academy at their native village Balali in Charkhi Dadri district.