In a tragic incident, 35-year-old Jiu-Jitsu athlete Rohini Kalam, who represented India at the Asian Games, was found dead at her home in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, on Sunday. Her younger sister, Roshni, discovered her hanging in her room at their family house in Arjun Nagar, Radhaganj. She was immediately taken to a nearby hospital, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.
At the time of the incident, Rohini’s parents were not at home. Her mother and sister were visiting a temple, while her father, a retired Bank Note Press employee, was also not at home.
Who was Rohini Kalam?
Kalam started practising Jiu-Jitsu in 2007 and began her professional career in 2015. She served as the General Secretary of the Ju-Jitsu Association of Madhya Pradesh and was also the Women’s Athlete Commissioner for the Ju-Jitsu Association of India.
She represented India at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou and was the only Indian athlete chosen for the World Games in Birmingham. Over the years, she earned several medals, including a bronze in the 48 kg category at the Thailand Open Grand Prix 2022 and another bronze in the duo classic event at the 8th Asian Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2024 in Abu Dhabi, according to a report by FPJ.
Family says she was under stress, pursuing Vikram Award
Her father told NDTV that Rohini had dreams of becoming an IPS officer and had been striving to win the Vikram Award for the past two years. He said she was under a lot of work pressure and had also been refusing marriage proposals.
Her sister, Roshni, was aware of her mental health. She said that the staff of the school where she was working was troubling her.
“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,” NDTV quoted Roshni as saying.
Family members also mentioned that Kalam had undergone surgery for a stomach lump recently and had been dealing with health problems since then. Police have registered a case at the Bank Note Press police station and have begun investigating the circumstances leading to her death.