Man who helped save Rishabh Pant in 2022 takes poison with girlfriend

Rajat Kumar, the 25-year-old man who saved Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant in a 2022 car accident, has reportedly consumed poison along with his girlfriend.

According to NDTV, the incident occurred on February 9 in Bochha Basti village, Muzaffarnagar district, Uttar Pradesh.

Rajat Kumar and his 21-year-old girlfriend Manu Kashyap reportedly took poison as their families were against their relationship. Manu passed away during treatment, while Rajat Kumar remains in critical condition.

Indian reports suggest that both families had arranged their marriages elsewhere and refused to accept their relationship as they were from different castes, driving them to attempt suicide.

Following Manu Kashyap’s death, her mother accused Rajat Kumar of kidnapping her daughter and poisoning her.

Rajat Kumar gained national attention in December 2022 when he, along with another man, Nishu Kumar, saved cricketer Rishabh Pant from a severe car accident.

Pant was travelling from Delhi to Uttarakhand when his Mercedes crashed and caught fire. 

Rajat and Nishu Kumar acted swiftly, pulling him out of the burning vehicle and taking him to a nearby hospital for treatment.