BAREILLY: A fortnight after a 23-year-old wrestler was killed during an unauthorised match in UP’s Moradabad after his rival allegedly twisted his neck during the fight, police on Thursday registered a case against several people, including the opponent.
The FIR was lodged against the opponent, Sajid (only identified by his first name), and several unknown people under section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the IPC based on the family’s complaint filed on Wednesday as well as a video of the wrestling match which was widely shared on social media.
On September 2, Mahesh, a resident of Uttarakhand’s Kashipur, was killed in the ‘ring’ — an agricultural field at Faridpur village under Thakurdwara — when Sajid, a wrestler from Moradabad, allegedly twisted his neck. A video of the incident purportedly shows Sajid slamming Mahesh on the ground. Mahesh soon falls unconscious amid claps and cheers from the crowd.
The wrestler was later rushed to a hospital where he died during treatment. The body was handed to the family. According to police, a postmortem could not be conducted since the family cremated the body soon after the incident.
Deputy superintendent of police (circle officer, Thakurdwara), Anup Kumar, told TOI that police took cognisance of the video as well as the family’s complaint and booked several people. “The participants at the illegal matches were self-motivated. These matches were held earlier as well but the pandemic had put a stop to them. The latest match was held in a plowed agricultural field in the village. We are trying to ascertain the identities of the organisers,” he said.
The DSP added that it was not clear if there was any prize money for those participating.
Mahesh’s mother, Parvati, meanwhile, accused the organisers and her son’s opponent of killing him “deliberately”. “Mahesh was the sole breadwinner of a family of four. He did odd jobs to earn and had recently taken to wrestling. We were offered money to settle the case by the organisers. We used that money for my son’s treatment and yet he could not be saved,” she said.
