Indian jiu-jitsu player Rohini Kalam found dead at her Madhya Pradesh home
International jiu-jitsu athlete Rohini Kalam was found dead at her home in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas on Sunday. The bronze medalist, who worked as a martial arts coach, had reportedly been under work-related stress. Her family was not present at the time of the incident. Police suspect suicide but have not recovered any note. According to her sister, Rohini was distressed over workplace harassment, while her father said she had been pursuing the Vikram Award and aspired to join the IPS.
New Delhi: Rohini Kalam, an international jiu-jitsu athlete who represented India in multiple tournaments, was found dead at her residence in Dewas on Sunday, police officials confirmed. Rohini had won a bronze medal at the 8th Asian Championship held in Abu Dhabi and was also employed as a martial arts coach at a local school. According to reports, she had been experiencing considerable work-related stress in recent days.
At the time of the incident, none of her family members were at home. Roshni, her sister, later found her hanging. Rohini’s father, a retired employee of the Bank Note Press, was away along with her mother and sister when the suspected suicide occurred. Police said that while the initial probe suggests suicide, no note has been recovered so far.
Stress over job issues
Investigators are still looking into the circumstances surrounding Rohini’s death. Her sister’s account indicates that the athlete had been facing mental distress due to professional challenges. "She was worried about her job. The faculty at her school were troubling her. Her school's principal was troubling her. I could sense it from the way she was speaking on her phone,” Roshni, Rohini's sister, was quoted as saying by NDTV.
Roshni added that although Rohini’s job was in Ashta, Madhya Pradesh, she had come home to Dewas for the weekend. On Sunday morning, she followed her usual routine of tea and breakfast before taking a phone call and locking herself in her room. While her mother and sister visited a temple and her father was out, Rohini took the extreme step.
IPS aspirations and award pursuit
Rohini’s father told NDTV that his daughter aspired to become an IPS officer and had been striving for the prestigious Vikram Award for the past two years. He said she was under intense professional pressure and had been declining marriage proposals. She had also been recovering from a major surgery performed five months ago, which, combined with workplace stress, reportedly added to her struggles, her father said. Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances leading to her death.