Five people arrested over fatal shooting of Black Country kabaddi player in India
Five people have been arrested over the death of a kabaddi player from the Black Country who was shot dead during a visit to India, according to reports.
Sandeep Singh Sandhu is believed to have been shot up to 10 times as he watched a match in Mallian Khurd, outside Jalandhar, in Punjab, on March 14.
Now local media outlets in India have reported five people have been arrested in the case while two pistols, and a car, have also been recovered by police officers.
The 38-year-old victim, a father of three boys, was a respected player in the South Asian sport – captaining the British national team and excelling in competitions across the country as a stopper.
He was born in India, but had lived in the United Kingdom for years, living in West Bromwich with his family running a fish and chip shop in Dudley called Crispy Cod. The shop was closed a day after his death, with a note saying that several relatives, including his twin brother, were flying out to India.
Footage shown on local media in India claims to show the scene moments after Mr Sandhu was shot, with the crowd at the kabaddi match rushing towards the area where he was sat.
Ashok Das, president of the England Kabaddi Association, paid tribute to Mr Sandhu at the time, calling him a nice guy and a gentleman and describing him as a legend of the sport.
He said: "I think everybody is sad, he was the best player. Any major event or tournament, you name it, he would play in it, including five world cups in Punjab, hosted by the Punjab government."
Wolverhampton Wrestling Club head coach Ranjit Singh, who had met Mr Sandhu at several events involving both kabaddi and wrestling, described him as a role model and ambassador for the sport.
He said: “First and foremost, he was a great sportsman and gave a lot to kabaddi itself, bringing in the youth and expanding the sport to new levels. He was also a brilliant player and one of the world’s best and, similar to what we do at our club, he gave a lot back to the community and was a role model as he inspired youngsters to take up the sport and achieve high levels."
The basic rules of kabaddi are simple: two teams of seven players each face off in a large square arena for two halves of twenty minutes each. Players from each team take turns running across the centre line, tagging members of the other team, and running back.
Dudley Kabaddi Club chairman and Birmingham Kabaddi Club director Mohammed Aurangzeb said he had heard about what had happened and was still taking in the news. He said: “I’m really upset about what has happened and it really shouldn’t be happening to these types of players as they are stars and I hope the Indian government and the authorities will take a strong stand to protect them.
"I can’t begin to describe how much of a loss this is as these types of players don’t come around overnight and he was a huge hero to the public, so it is a huge loss to us in the sport and in life."
