Man who rescued Rishabh Pant attempts suicide with girlfriend, she dies
Muzaffarnagar: Rajat Kumar, a 25-year-old who gained national attention for rescuing Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant after a car accident in 2022, allegedly attempted suicide along with his 21-year-old girlfriend, Manu Kashyap. The incident took place on February 9 in Buchha Basti, a village in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar district.
The couple allegedly consumed poison after their families opposed their relationship and arranged their marriages elsewhere. Manu died during treatment, while Rajat remains in critical condition at a hospital.
Following Manu’s death, her mother alleged that Rajat kidnapped her daughter and poisoned her. Police are investigating the case.
Rajat had rescued Rishabh Pant in December 2022 when the cricketer's car crashed into a divider and caught fire near Roorkee. He and another local resident, Nishu Kumar, pulled Pant from the burning vehicle and arranged for medical help. Their quick response was widely appreciated, and Pant later gifted them scooters in recognition of their bravery.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the state’s health helpline 104, Tele-MANAS 14416.)
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Conspiracy afoot to 'tarnish' image of Dharmasthala: Deputy CM DK Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Aug 14 (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said there was a “conspiracy” to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala.
His comments come amid an ongoing investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into serious allegations of mass burials in the revered temple town in Dakshina Kannada district.
“A conspiracy is being hatched to destroy hundreds of years of legacy. It is not correct to tarnish someone just like that. It has all happened due to one complainant,” he said.
Noting that some Congress MLAs have called for action against those involved in the slander campaign at the legislature party meeting, he said, “ I have told them that action must be taken against those who are indulging in a slander campaign. The CM has also said that action must be taken against such people.”
“I have information on this case. Religious feelings should not be hurt in any manner. Culprits must be punished,” he told reporters, according to a release from his office.
Responding to a question, Shivakumar said the Congress party will not allow the image of any religious place to be tarnished.
“We see everyone equally when it comes to religion,” he added.
The SIT, formed by the state government, is probing claims of mass murder, rape, and mass burials in Dharmasthala over the past two decades.
The complainant, a former sanitation worker whose identity has not been revealed, alleged that between 1995 and 2014 he was forced to handle bodies—including women and minors—and that some showed signs of sexual assault. He has given a statement before a magistrate.
As part of the probe, the SIT has been conducting exhumations at multiple locations identified by the complainant-witness in the forested areas along the banks of the Netravathi River in Dharmasthala, where some skeletal remains have been found at two sites so far.
