New Delhi: Just over two years ago, Rajat Kumar was in the news after helping save Team India cricketer Rishabh Pant’s life following a deadly car accident.
The 25-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar district made the headlines again recently, but for an entirely different reason.
Rajat and his girlfriend Manu Kashyap allegedly attempted suicide by consuming poison in Buchha Basti, in Muzaffarnagar, on February 9.
Rajat and 21-year-old Manu were rushed to a hospital, where the former is in a critical condition, battling for life. The woman died during treatment.
According to police, Rajat and Manu took the drastic step as their families opposed their relationship as they were from different castes. They were informed that the woman’s parents had fixed her marriage with another person.
A police investigation is underway. Muzaffarnagar Superintendent of Police Satyanarayan Prajapat said action will be taken based on what comes out of the probe.
In the early hours of December 30, 2022, Rajat and his friend Nishu were returning home to their village when they noticed Pant’s burning Mercedes car near Roorkee. Pant, who was driving to his hometown Roorkee from Delhi, had dozed off and his car hit the divider and caught fire. The wicketkeeper-batter, who was struggling inside the burning vehicle, was pulled out by Rajat and Nishu who arranged for Pant to be shifted to a hospital in an ambulance.
Pant, who made a remarkable recovery and returned to cricket in IPL 2024, mentioned about Rajat and Nishu’s heroic effort to rescue him. He also gifted them scooters as a token of appreciation.
