In a shocking incident, a professional bodybuilder from Rohtak, Haryana, was allegedly brutally assaulted and killed by a group of 20 unidentified individuals after they attended a wedding. The 26-year-old succumbed to his injuries and died on Saturday.
Rohit Dhankhar from Humayunpur village travelled to Bhiwani to attend a wedding with his friend.
According to his family, a baraat, a wedding procession which folllows the groom, arrived late at night. Rohit noticed that some of the men in the group allegedly began misbehaving with the women at the venue.
Rohit had confronted them and given them a warning, which led to an altercation. The harassers had walked away.
After the wedding ceremony, Rohit and his friend Jatin left in the car for home. They were stopped by a group of men and attacked. Rohit’s family members say that about 20 armed individuals surrounded the two with sticks and weapons and attacked them.
Both men tried to run. Jatin escaped, but Rohit was caught and beaten for longer. Family members said that there wasn’t a single part of his body without injury marks.
Jatin returned after the attackers fled and took Rohit to a local hospital. He was moved to PGIMS in a critical condition. Rohit succumbed to his injuries and died on Saturday despite the doctor’s efforts.
Bhiwani police conducted a post-mortem after the family filed a formal complaint, and further investigation is underway.
According to Rohit's brother-in-law, Ravi Khassa, and uncle, Satish Dhana, the murder was planned. They demand the the harshest punishment for the assailants. "This was a planned murder. He stood up for the dignity of women and paid with his life," they said.
Rohit used to train members at the Gymkhana Club in Rohtak. Family members said that he was an international medalist, winning two gold medals in 2018. He was also honoured at the Independence Day ceremony that year by CM Manohar Lal Khattar.
