National-level karate player kills self, family blames police inaction after sexual assault

Kuldeep Kaur was working as a gym trainer in Batala. Besides winning many titles, she had last won bronze medal in the tournament organised by Karate Association of India at New Delhi in 2012.

A day after she attempted suicide, a former national-level karate player, Kuldeep Kaur (25), succumbed at a private hospital where she was rushed for treatment. Kuldeep Kaur had consumed a poisonous substance at her residence in village Gujarpura in Batala on Tuesday.

She was working as a gym trainer in Batala. Besides winning many titles, she had last won bronze medal in the tournament organised by Karate Association of India at New Delhi in 2012.

Kuldeep’s brother, Satwant Singh, a Havaldar in the Army, alleged that she was disturbed for the last few months because of a sexual and criminal assault on her and her mother, Lakhwinder Kaur, committed by a bunch of people with whom the family was having a land dispute.

Acting on Satwant Singh’s complaint, police on Wednesday registered a case against 14 persons on charges of abetment of suicide. At least three of the 14 accused were arrested on Wednesday, while 11 were still at large.

Kuldeep’s elder sister, Balbir Kaur’s marriage is scheduled for next week. “There is a wedding in the family five days later. Most of us were out of home shopping. When we returned home, we learnt that Kuldeep had consumed some poisonous substance,” Satwant Singh told The Indian Express.

“On October 26, Preetam Singh, Ajaib Singh, Param Singh, Pargat Singh, Kulwant Singh, Ninderpal Singh, Nirmal Kaur, Sharanjit Kaur, Jasraj Kaur, Harinder Kaur and their accomplices, attacked my sister and mother when they were coming home. They attempted to tear Kuldeep’s clothes and assaulted both of them. Kuldeep sustained head injury and a fracture in the arm. She was yet to recover from her injury”, Satwant Singh added. Satwant Singh is posted in Arunachal Pradesh and had come home, on leave, to attend his sister’s wedding.

“We have an ongoing land dispute with the accused. Because of their political connections, police did not act against them earlier. Rather, they registered a cross case against Kuldeep, my mother Lakhwinder and my uncle Kulwinder Singh in the October 26 clash. Police had been harassing Kuldeep and my other family members. She was disheartened at police’s callous and biased attitude and eventually took this extreme step yesterday,” Balbir Kaur told The Indian Express.

“Kuldeep came out of her room and started crying. She told me that she had consumed poison. She told me that the accused mock her, whenever she steps out of home. She added that she was unable to bear any more insult and was thus ending her life. I immediately informed our parents and we rushed her to a hospital. She was declared dead today,” Kuldeep’s cousin, Komalpreet Kaur, said.

SSP Opinderjit Singh Ghuman said, “There was a clash between both the parties on October 26 and a cross-case was registered against both the sides. Both sides had requested for re-investigation into the cases registered against them. A re-investigation was under process. Now since the family levelled abetment of suicide allegations, we have registered the case. I have asked for a detailed factual report on the incident.”