Kabaddi player Sheelu Balhara, family booked after wife’s death in Rohtak
Muskan (23), found hanging at in-laws’ house; father alleges dowry harassment, police register dowry death case
International kabaddi player Sheelu Balhara alias Tinku, his younger brother and parents were booked by police on Saturday in connection with the death of his wife Muskan (23), who was found hanging from a ceiling fan at their house in Bahu Akbarpur village on Friday afternoon.
No arrests had been made till the filing of this report. The cremation was performed in the village on Saturday evening after the postmortem examination. Heated arguments were also reported between the two families earlier.
In the FIR, Muskan’s father Sukhbir of Farmana (Badshahpur) alleged that his daughter was being harassed by her in-laws over dowry demands since her marriage two-and-a-half years ago. He also accused Sheelu of being involved in an extramarital relationship.
“Over 10 days ago, Muskan returned to our home upset. However, after persuading her, we sent her back to her matrimonial home along with Sheelu and his father. I now feel that had I listened to my daughter and not sent her back, she would have been alive today. On July 31, Muskan called me and said a conspiracy was being hatched against her,” Sukhbir stated in his complaint.
Bahu Akbarpur SHO Inspector Jasbir Singh said police received information around 4 pm on Friday that Muskan had died by suicide at her house.
“A police team immediately rushed to the spot and broke open the door of the room to enter. A FSL team was also called for investigation. No suicide note was recovered from the spot. After 2 am on Saturday, Muskan’s father lodged a complaint, following which a case was registered under Section 80 (dowry death) of the BNS against her in-laws,” he said.
The SHO said further action would be taken based on the investigation and postmortem report. The autopsy was conducted by a board of doctors at PGIMS.
A villager said Sheelu is one of India’s leading circle kabaddi catchers and has represented the country in international competitions. “Popularly known as ‘Haryana Aala Cheeta’ in Punjab, he was adjudged the Best Catcher at a kabaddi tournament in the United States last year. Renowned for his defensive prowess, he also won numerous tractors and motorcycles as tournament prizes. His younger brother, Manish, is also a kabaddi player,” the villager said.
