Prince couldn’t become Rani’s King: India’s top-notch woman wrestler ‘abused, tortured’ by boxer husband

A prominent international woman wrestler from India has come forward alleging that she has been under severe abuse and marital distress, accusing her husband of torturing her and interfering with her professional pursuits. Rani Rana, resident of Murar Suraiyapura of Gwalior in MP, is also the brand ambassador for the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign in her district. She revealed a disturbing incident from May 30th when she was allegedly brutally assaulted by her husband Prince Rana after returning home from a conference where she had been honored. The wrestler had garnered recognition at the Jat Samaj conference in Dabra, receiving commendations from Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. Her return was met with her husband’s extreme anger, leading to a heated confrontation. The situation escalated as he subjected her to verbal abuse and physical assault. The violence included twisting her hand, hitting her head against a nearby table, and kicking her in the face, leaving her with significant injuries. In a twist, the entire incident was recorded by the wrestler’s mother who had been present during the altercation. This recording later served as evidence of the abuse. Following this traumatic encounter, the wrestler’s parents intervened and brought her back to their home, leaving behind her belongings, medals, and personal items. The abuse was not only physical but also involved emotional manipulation and an attempt to halt her wrestling career. She revealed that her husband Prince Rana, mother-in-law, and father-in-law were against her participation in sports and wanted her to quit. Even her financial needs for training and competitions were met with resistance. Despite being thrown out of her marital home on May 30th, the wrestler initially hesitated to take action in the hope of reconciliation. However, when the abusive behavior continued, she realized that drastic measures were necessary to bring her tormentors to justice. Consequently, on August 6th, she registered a formal complaint with the Murar police station, initiating a legal process against her husband and in-laws. The Marriage The events leading up to this distressing situation began in 2017 when the wrestler achieved a significant milestone by winning a bronze medal at the Senior Wrestling Championship. It was during this time that she crossed paths with her future husband, a boxing player and gym trainer. Their relationship progressed over the years, culminating in their marriage in February 2020. However, the wrestler revealed that within just six months of marriage, she began experiencing harassment and abuse from her in-laws. Her husband allegedly demanded dowry and financial contributions for his own ventures. Moreover, he actively attempted to curtail her wrestling career, undermining her achievements and aspirations. In response to the allegations, the husband dismissed the claims, asserting that the marriage had been loving initially but soured due to disagreements, including financial matters. He refuted the accusations of abuse and dowry harassment, asserting that the wrestler was attempting to extort funds for her political aspirations. Authorities have registered a case of dowry harassment based on the wrestler’s complaint. The investigation is ongoing. Rani’s Laurels Four years ago, Rani won the gold medal by defeating UP’s Mansi Yadav in the Under-23 Freestyle and Greco-Roman Style Women’s National Wrestling Championship held in Shirdi. Rani won the bronze medal in the Senior Wrestling Championship for four consecutive years from 2017 to 2020. In the year 2020, she created history by winning the gold medal in the National Wrestling Championship in the Under-20 group. She won Gold in National Wrestling Championship held at Bhubaneswar in senior category and became the first woman from MP. She won Silver in Senior Federation Comp in the year 2022.