Rajasthan state-level kabaddi player kidnapped, beaten to death: Police

The deceased, Manoj Bhadu, was a resident of Rawar village in Jodhpur's Bilara area.

Police suspect that the murder may have stemmed from an old personal rivalry. During the investigation, officers found that Manoj had allegedly assaulted a youth, Mahendra, in the past, and a case was registered at Bilara police station. Investigators suspect the accused had been tracking Manoj for the past eight to ten days to take revenge.

Shivpura Police Station Officer (SHO) Bhanwarlal Vishnoi said that both the deceased and the accused belong to Jodhpur district. "Seven to eight persons were involved in the attack and that multiple police teams were conducting raids to apprehend them," he added.

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 Physical Training Instructor (PTI) recruitment examinations.

Manoj had left for Pali with two others in his Scorpio SUV on Thursday night to purchase a JCB machine, his family said, adding that on the way, they were allegedly intercepted by 20 to 25 men travelling in four to five vehicles. The group reportedly forced Manoj out of the Scorpio and into one of their own vehicles, while the two men accompanying him managed to escape.

The family alleged that the assailants took Manoj to different locations and repeatedly assaulted him with sticks and iron rods. They left him critically injured near Lamba village in neighbouring Pali district before fleeing.

Manoj, who reportedly suffered severe injuries to his head, legs and arms, was initially taken to a private hospital in Jodhpur and was later referred to Mathuradas Mathur (MDM) Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

"Police received information from the Pali Control Room on Friday morning that a vehicle accident had been deliberately staged near the Shivpura police station area. Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim had been assaulted and abandoned near Lamba village. Police rushed him to a hospital, but he later died during treatment," Additional Superintendent of Police (Jodhpur Rural) Bhopal Singh said.

His brother, Aman, alleged that the two men travelling with Manoj had informed others about his movements, following which he was attacked in the Shivpura area of Sojat.

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 the post-mortem examination, and a case was registered against seven people - Shyamlal, Dinesh, Sunil, Mek Singh alias Mainkaram, Somraj, Harbhajan and Sanwarlal. Police teams have been deployed to trace the suspects.

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