Coach Fatally Shoots Female Wrestler And Brother After She Accused Him Of Harassment

A 20-year-old wrestler and her brother were shot dead by her coach inside a wrestling academy after she accused him of harassment. The suspect, who also shot the victims' mother, is at large.

The shocking incident happened in the Indian state of Haryana Wednesday afternoon, reported The Indian Express. The victims were identified as Nisha Dahiya and her 18-year-old brother Suraj Dahiya. The suspect had been coaching Nisha for the past three years.

Police said the accused, identified as Pawan Kumar, ran a wrestling academy in the town of Sonepat. He was allegedly assisted by his wife and two other men in the crime.

According to the victims' mother Dhanpati Dahiya, her daughter had complained several times that Pawan was misbehaving with her.

Dhanpati said Nisha warned Pawan several times to stop harassing her. "Despite discussing the issue with him several times, he did not mend his ways. This morning, as per her routine, my daughter had gone to the academy for training and later returned home. She went back to the academy again in the afternoon. Then, we got a call from Pawan saying Nisha was not feeling well, and he asked us to take her home," said Dhanpati.

Dhanpati said she and her son immediately set out to the academy. On arrival, they saw Pawan, his wife, and two other aides rushing towards Nisha near the main gate.

"Nisha told me that Pawan had harassed her and threatened to kill her and her family. Suddenly, Pawan pulled out a gun and fired multiple bullets at my daughter. She collapsed after sustaining gunshot wounds near the gate. My son and I ran in different directions. The accused got hold of me and shot me. They chased my son, who was running towards the village. I saw them firing several bullets, which hit him, and he died on the spot," Dhanpati said in her statement.

The victims' relatives alleged that the accused and his aides removed the CCTV visuals at the academy before leaving the premises.

Police said they have launched a hunt for the accused. "Prima facie, the main suspect is Pawan, who is the coach, and some of his aides. After the incident, a group of irate villagers set fire to the academy," a senior police official told The Indian Express.