Former Indian women hockey captain, Waikhom Suraj Lata Devi, who now resides in Imphal, has filed a case related to domestic violence, assault and dowry harassment against her husband Shanta Kumar Singh, who is also a hockey player.
The 39-year-old former hockey player narrated her ‘ordeal of 15 years’ before the media and said that it was a love marriage and both lived together in Mumbai where she was working.
She told mediapersons in Imphal that she endured repeated assault and threat from her husband. She said that her husband repeatedly assaulted her for not bringing enough dowry. For the last 15 years she was not allowed to contact her friends, family members and was asked to remain indoors by resigning her job in the Railways.
Suraj Lata Devi took the decision to step out of the marriage after her husband allegedly assaulted her on November 8, 2019 in Kapurthala, Punjab. She said that she was tortured the whole night and later taking help of her friends she went to Delhi and returned to Imphal.
She informed that she filed a complaint at Heingang police station in Imphal and the case has been taken up by Kapurthala PS in Punjab.
An Arjuna Award winner, Surja Lata led the Indian women’s hockey team to win three gold medals in the 2002 Commonwealth Games, 2003 Afro-Asian Games and 2004 Women’s Hockey Asia Cup. Her life and achievements inspired the 2007 hit Hindi film ‘Chak de India’ starring Shahrukh Khan.
