While he never earned recognition as a kabaddi player, Kanwar Digvijay Singh, alias Rana Balachauria, who was shot dead in Mohali on Monday, had emerged as a successful promoter, managing some of the most prominent open kabaddi teams in Punjab.
A native of Chankoa village in Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district’s Balachaur tehsil, Rana Balachauria had tied the knot on December 4 and had shared photographs and videos of his wedding on his Instagram account, which has nearly 33,000 followers.
A senior police official said that, so far, investigators had found no evidence of Balachauria’s association with any gang or gangster.
“As per Punjab Police records, only two FIRs under minor sections were registered against him. One was under the Excise Act, while the other was under Section 188 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Indian Penal Code,” the official said.
Naresh Kumar, sarpanch of Chankoa village, said Rana belonged to a well-to-do family, owning over 10 acres of agricultural land, besides running a transport business in Una district of Himachal Pradesh and a registered gun store.
“A pall of gloom has descended over the entire village. We saw him playing kabaddi in school fields and then rising by promoting kabaddi teams. Rana and his family enjoyed a good reputation in the village,” the sarpanch said.
{{/usCountry}}“A pall of gloom has descended over the entire village. We saw him playing kabaddi in school fields and then rising by promoting kabaddi teams. Rana and his family enjoyed a good reputation in the village,” the sarpanch said.
{{/usCountry}}A fitness enthusiast, Rana also owned a gym in Balachaur, where several prominent kabaddi players trained under him. At the time of his death, he was managing a team from Shakarpur village in Jalandhar, which had made several podium finishes over the past year and was a preferred choice among players.
Amrit Singh, a noted kabaddi player, said they never imagined Rana would meet such a tragic end, describing him as a committed well-wisher of the sport.
“He was primarily a manager who brought together some of the best players from across the state to form a strong team that performed consistently in rural tournaments,” he said.
On Monday, the attackers allegedly posed as fans and approached Balachauria for selfies before opening fire. He was critically injured in the attack and rushed to a nearby hospital in Mohali, where doctors declared him dead.