A 26-year-old state-level kabaddi player was hacked to death after he was kidnapped by a group of unidentified people in Rajasthan’s Jodhpur district, police said.
The deceased, Manoj Bhadu, was a resident of Rawar village in Bilara district of Jodhpur.
Police suspect that the murder may have stemmed from an old personal rivalry. During investigation, officers found out that Manoj had assaulted the young man, Mahendra, in the past, and a case was registered at Bellara police station. Investigators suspect that the accused was tracking Manoj for the past eight to 10 days to take revenge.
Shivpura police station house officer (SHO) Bhanwarlal Vishnoi said that both the deceased and the accused belonged to Jodhpur district. He added, “Between seven and eight people participated in the attack, and that multiple police teams were conducting raids to arrest them.”
According to the family, Manoj was a state-level kabaddi player during 2017-18. He completed his Bachelor of Education (BEd) from Udaipur in 2022 and was preparing for the Physical Training Instructor (PTI) recruitment exams.
Manoj left for Bali with two others in his Scorpio SUV on Thursday night to buy a JCB machine, his family said, adding that on the way, 20 to 25 men traveling in four to five vehicles allegedly intercepted them. The group reportedly forced Manoj off the Scorpio and into one of their private cars, while the two men accompanying him managed to escape.
The family alleged that the attackers took Manoj to different locations and repeatedly assaulted him with sticks and iron rods. They left him seriously injured near Lamba village in neighboring Bali district before fleeing.
Manoj, who reportedly sustained serious injuries to his head, legs and arms, was initially taken to a private hospital in Jodhpur and was later referred to Mathuradas Mathur Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.
“Police received information from the Pali Control Room on Friday morning that a car accident had deliberately occurred near Shivpura police station area. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was assaulted and abandoned near Lamba village. Police took him to hospital, but he later died during treatment,” Additional Superintendent of Police (Jodhpur Rural) Bhopal Singh said.
His brother Aman claimed that the two men traveling with Manoj informed others about his movements, after which he was attacked in Shivpura area of Saugat.
Villagers and family members of the deceased gathered outside the mortuary of MDM Hospital and staged a protest demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for the murder.
The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem, and a case was registered against seven people – Shyamlal, Dinesh, Sunil, Meek Singh alias Mainkram, Somraj, Harbhajan and Sanwarlal. Police teams were deployed to track down the suspects.
