Bodybuilder beaten to death after row at wedding in Haryana's Bhiwani

Chandigarh: A 26-year-old professional bodybuilder was beaten to death allegedly by a group of men after he left a wedding venue in Bhiwani district.

The victim was identified as Rohit Dhankar of Humayunpur village in Rohtak district.

His family claimed that Dhankar was brutally thrashed near a railway crossing in Bhiwani for objecting to harassment of women at a wedding.

A police officer from Bhiwani on Sunday said that the attack followed an altercation over a selfie at the wedding Friday night, where Dhankar had gone with his friend Jatin.

Satish, an uncle of Dhankhar, told reporters in Rohtak that his nephew got into an altercation with some youths over improper language.

Jatin, whose relative's wedding it was, told reporters, "We were at the wedding. There we saw some people using improper language and we pointed out to them that girls were around... After one hour, when we left, they intercepted us.

"They opened the car window on Rohit's side and also hit the glass on my side. I reversed the car and drove, but they chased us again. Ahead, a rail crossing gate was closed and they drove their car in front of ours and blocked our way."

He said that the occupants of the car got down and thrashed his friend with rods and hockey sticks.

Dhankhar was rushed to PGIMS hospital in Rohtak where he succumbed on Saturday.

Bhiwani Sadar SHO Vikas said the police have registered a case of murder and are looking for the assailants, of whom there were over a dozen.

"A group of youths was taking selfies in the complex where the wedding was taking place. They were standing near the entry gate and were told that they should move aside and make way for the women," the SHO said, adding, the objection led to an argument between Dhankhar and the youths. When Dhankhar and Jatin were leaving the venue, they were jeered at by the same men, who were standing near their car. The same group then chased them, he said.

The FIR carries four names, while the rest are yet to be identified, he said.

Meanwhile, his family said, Dhankhar was a bodybuilder and a gym trainer in Rohtak and had won many national and state level medals.

"Former Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had also honoured him in 2016 for his achievements," his uncle said.

Dhankhar was the sole breadwinner of the family and is survived by his mother and sister, he said.