Pro Kabaddi league player Rohit Chillar was arrested in Mumbai by the Delhi Police on Friday, three days after his wife Lalita hanged herself at her parents’ house in west Delhi, alleging dowry harassment.
Before this, Rohit’s father Vijay Singh, a co-accused with his son in the dowry death case, also surrendered to police on Friday. “He has been arrested in Mumbai and transit remand has been granted by local court there till Sunday,” said Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) after Rohit was taken into custody. “He is being taken to Delhi and will then be produced before the court,” he added.
Rohit’s father Vijay Singh was a sub-inspector with Delhi Police and had been dismissed from service long ago, according to police. Rohit’s mother is also an accused in the case but is currently absconding.
Rohit was being escorted to Delhi on train and was expected to reach the capital on Saturday evening. “He is coming on Punjab Mail and depending on the train’s arrival, he could be here by 7 to 8 pm,” said a police officer. A Navy man, Rohit is part of Pro Kabaddi League team Bengaluru Bulls and was also doing commentary during the ongoing kabaddi world cup in Ahmedabad.
On Monday evening, Rohit’s wife Lalita Chillar, 27, was found hanging by her father at their house in west Delhi’s Nangloi. Lalita had returned to her parents’ house last month after allegedly being tortured by her in-laws for three consecutive days. Lalita had left two one-hour-long audio messages and a suicide letter, blaming her in-laws and husband for her death.
She also referred to an alleged extramarital relationship by her husband in the message, according to a police officer. In the audio message, Lalita accused her husband of watching her physically tortured at the hands of his parents.
The kabaddi player also put out his own video, denying tearfully that he had ever harmed anybody, least of all his wife. “I can’t imagine she is gone... I couldn’t even see her for the last time,” Rohit said in Hindi in the recording he posted on Facebook. “I played for the country, never harmed anybody,” he said.
“I am sure my wife did not say anything like this. My father-in-law knows too that I never asked for dowry,” Rohit said in his video. “I am alive only to prove my innocence. I never did anything wrong... When I get justice, I will go to (my wife),” he said. Lalita married Rohit in March. This was her second marriage.
Published 21 October 2016, 21:10 IST