Indian Jiu-Jitsu athlete Rohini Kalam was reportedly found dead at her residence in Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas town on Sunday in a suspected suicide, police officials said.
Representing India in the sport of Jiu-Jitsu and winning a bronze medal at the 8th Asian Championships in Abu Dhabi, Kalam has also worked as a martial arts trainer at a school in her home state.
According to an NDTV report, Kalam’s father, a former Bank Note Press employee, and her mother and sister were away from home when the suspected suicide took place. On her return, the sister of the deceased, Roshni Kalam, found her hanging in the house.
While preliminary investigations point to suicide, no message has been found from her location so far, the report said.
What led to the death of the athlete?
While the investigation into the athlete’s death is still ongoing, her family claimed that she was allegedly under some kind of work stress.
“She was worried about her job. The teachers in her school were worrying her. The principal of her school was worrying her. I could sense it from the way she was talking on the phone,” Roshni said, according to the report.
According to Rohini’s sister, she was working in the Ashta area of Madhya Pradesh but came home to Dewas for a visit on Saturday, the day before the tragic incident.
Roshni also remembered that her sister’s Sunday mornings started with her usual cup of tea and breakfast followed by a phone conversation before heading to her room and locking the door. However, while Roshni and her mother were off to visit the temple and father was also away, Rohini took an extreme step.
Rohini aspired to become an IPS officer
Rohini’s father reportedly said that the sportswoman dreamed of cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam and becoming an IPS officer, adding that she also aspired for the Vikram award for two years.
Besides, she faced immense pressure at her workplace and also resisted marriage proposals, the father said, according to NDTV.
She was also battling physical ailments after undergoing major surgery just five months ago, and the ongoing stress of work had put further strain on her health, her father said.
