5 times kabaddi players were arrested

The world of kabaddi is a ruthless place to be in. The game looks magnificent from the outside and in many ways it actually is magnificent too, but in the real world everyone has their own problems.

Kabaddi players have become icons in recent times with the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) putting some athletes on the map and making them major stars in the kabaddi world. The Kabaddi World Cup was another medium by which fans recognised their favourite players and showered them with praise and support. Behind the scenes however, life is not all that easy for these kabaddi enthusiasts.

The game itself has suffered a lot over the years as International recognition has never really been forthcoming. The players at national level have struggled to break out of the confines of their cities and towns and generally come from humble back grounds. Backgrounds where nefarious activities continue to be the norm.

Even the best of us have some demons, and that can be shockingly seen when you take a look at the heinous acts committed by some of these kabaddi players. Keeping that in mind, here are 5 times that kabaddi players were arrested:

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#5 Shani Dev

Shani Dev was a national level kabaddi player who was well respected for his craft in his own village and managed to break through owing to his talent as a player during trying times for the sport.

However, Shani managed to join a gang in 2010 and that's where the problems started. His younger brother Sukhwinder Singh was shot dead in a village in Rohtak and that prompted a killing spree in which Shani killed 8 people in cold blood to take revenge for his brother's death. He was finally arrested in 2014 and taken into police custody.

#4 Balraj Singh

Police identified a local level kabaddi player going by the alias of Raju Katta to be running a cross-border heroin smuggling racket in nexus with the Border Security Force (BSF) last year. The kabaddi player's real name was Balraj Singh and he admitted to having 6 kg of heroin stashed away in a cattle barn in his village.

The police deemed Balraj an "international level" smuggler who worked with the BSF to smuggle the drugs between India and Pakistan. Balraj has since been given the dubious distinction of being a proclaimed offender and faces many other serious charges against him.

#3 Sukhmeet Singh and Sarabjit Singh

Professional kabaddi players Sukhmeet Singh and Sarabjit Singh were arrested by police in October last year following the murder of a Dera Sachcha Sauda follower, 70-year-old Gurdev Singh. Police reports confirmed that the attackers were in an inebriated state when the murder took place.

The murder took place in a shop after the arrested duo had requested for a bottle of aloe vera gel from Gurdev Singh. For reasons that are unclear, Gurdev Singh did not adhere to the request and scolded them for drinking so much.

In a fit of rage the attackers stabbed the shopkeeper and fled the scene. Gurdev Singh succumbed to his injuries after reaching the hospital.

#2 Kashiling Adake

Kashiling Adake

Kashiling Adake was involved in his own controversy after reports emerged of complaints from a woman who claimed she was raped.

Adake is a well-known player in the pro-kabaddi world, even playing in the PKL with Dabang Delhi. The woman complained that Adake had physical relations with her on the pretext of marrying her but used his advantage over her in the worst of ways.

She recounts that she was even raped by him and was given death threats by Adake every time she refused to have sex with him. Following the complaint, Adake was produced in court but later released on bail.

#1 Rohit Kumar

Rohit Kumar

This is probably the biggest kabaddi name on this list to have been arrested by the police. PKL regular Rohit Kumar was arrested last year along with his father after it was found that Rohit’s wife Lalita had hung herself to death in her room.

The raider was later released on bail and after some speculation about his participation, it emerged that he would take part in the fifth season of the PKL.