A heartbroken, Ritu Phogat on Thursday confirmed the news of the death of her 17-year-old cousin Ritika Phogat, who it is believed allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself to a ceiling fan on the night of March 17 after she lost a match a day earlier. Ritu Phogat took to social media on Thursday to say that the family is still in shock about the incident and said that she will miss her younger sister Ritika.“ Rest in Peace choti behen Ritika. I still can't believe what just happened with you. Will miss you forever. Om Shanti,” Ritu wrote on Twitter.
In another post, Ritu also said that the family urges people to not spread and believe in any rumours and added that these are tough times for everyone in the family. “I have been getting messages all morning today. I am very sad and disturbed about what happened in my family. I urge people to not spread and believe in any rumours and act responsibly. These are tough times for me and my family and I urge you all to respect our privacy,” she said. Haryana Police on Thursday confirmed the news of wrestler Ritika Phogat's death and have begun their investigation into the case, Charkhi Dadri District Superintendent of Police Ram Singh Bishnoi said. Part of the famous Phogat family, 17-year-old Ritika was participating in the state-level sub-junior, junior women, and men wrestling tournament at the Lohagarh Stadium in Bharatpur.