Man, 25, who saved cricketer from car accident fighting for life in hospital after taking poison with girlfriend, 21

Rajat Kumar, aged 25, reportedly attempted to commit suicide by taking poison alongside his 21-year-old girlfriend Manu Kashyap after their families disapproved of their relationship. Kashyap died, but Kumar survived and is now in a critical condition in hospital.

Kumar came to public prominence three years ago because he saved the life of India cricketer Rishabh Pant following a car accident.

The incident happened on Sunday (February 9) in Uttar Pradesh's Buchha Basti village in Muzaffarnagar district, NDTV reported.

Both of the couple’s families allegedly objected to their relationship and fixed their marriages elsewhere, citing caste differences. The caste system is the Indian class system.

Kashyap's mum has alleged that Kumar abducted her daughter and poisoned her, however, according to the NDTV report.

Muzaffarnagar SP Satyanarayan Prajapat of the local police said that a case was filed by Manu's mother at the Purkazi police station. "We have received a written complaint from the woman's family, accusing Rajat of poisoning her,' The Times of India reported.

Meanwhile, a local doctor alleged that Kashyap’s family removed her from the hospital where she works. Dr Dinesh Tripathi of Pragya Hospital said: "Both consumed a strong pesticide. We began immediate treatment. Manu's family shifted her elsewhere, but Rajat is improving under our care," according to the publication.

Who is Rajat Kumar?

Kumar first came to the spotlight back in December 2022. He made headlines in India and was called a hero after he rescued 27-year-old cricketer Rishabh Pant from a near-fatal car accident, with the assistance of another local man, Nishu Kumar.

The cricketer's Mercedes crashed into a divider and caught fire while he was travelling near an Indian city called Roorkee. The two men, who were working in a factory near to the crash site and saw what happened, rushed to the car and pulled Pant from the vehicle. Threy also doused the fire and called emergency services.

Pant gifted both men scooters as a token of gratitude and recognition of their bravery. Pant fully recovered and returned to cricket the following year.

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