Indian Jujitsu player dies by suicide in Madhya Pradesh, sister links work stress as plausible cause

Indian Jujitsu player and martial artist coach Rohini Kalam was found dead at her residence in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Rohini, who had represented India at events like the Asian Games and Asian Jujitsu Championships, was 35 years old. According to the police, her sister Roshni Kalam was the one who found her hanging in her room and immediately informed the other family members. She was quickly taken to a nearby hospital where she was announced dead at arrival.

Rohini's sister cited work stress as plausible cause

According to Roshni, Rohini had been working as a martial artist coach at a private school and had been under quite a lot of stress. She also revealed that Rohini had a normal breakfast on Sunday morning and then had a talk with someone over the phone before going into her room and locking the door. No suicide note was found by the police at the scene.

"She was worried about her job. The faculty at her school were troubling her. Her school's principal was troubling her. She was worried about her job. I could sense it from the way she was speaking on her phone," Roshni told investigators.

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At the time of the incident, her mother had gone to a nearby temple while her father was also away from home. Her father revealed that Rohini aspired to become an IPS officer and had also rejected multiple marriage proposals. Her family also alleged that the principal of the school where she worked as a coach had been troubling her for some time. The post-mortem examination reports are yet to come.

Rohini's stellar career

Meanwhile, Rohini had began her sporting career back in 2007 and started competing as a professional player in Jujitsu in 2015. She was the only Indian player selected for the World Games, 2022 in Birmingham and achieved success at the Asian Jujitsu Championships. She won multiple medals, including a bronze in the 48 kg category at the Thailand Open Grand Prix 2022 in Bangkok and another bronze in the duo classic event at the 8th Asian Jujitsu Championship 2024 in Abu Dhabi.