On Wednesday, social media erupted with the news that Nisha Dahiya, who recently won a bronze medal at the U23 World Championships, was shot dead.

But the tragedy concerned not the U23 World C’ships medallist but a newcomer. Reports shared the name and it took a while before the Wrestling Federation confirmed that the wrestler in question was a different Nisha Dahiya.

“Wrestler shot dead in Sonepat is newcomer Nisha Dahiya, not U-23 world championship bronze-medallist,” a coach, who travelled with Indian team, told PTI.

Nisha Dahiya also put out a video through the Sports Authority of India for her fans and well-wishers.

A report by PTI stated that a wrestler named Nisha Dahiya and her brother were shot dead by unknown assailants at an academy in Sonipat on Wednesday.

The killed siblings’ mother also sustained injuries as assailants opened fire at them and has been admitted to the PGIMS hospital in Rohtak, the police said.

Sonipat Assistant Superintendent of Police Mayank Gupta confirmed the death of Dahiya and her brother Suraj.

The incident took place at the Sushil Kumar Wrestling Academy in Sonipat’s Halalpur.

“The girl who died was a newcomer hailing from Halalpur village in Sonepat. She is also Nisha Dahiya but not the one who went to the U-23 World championship,” coach Randhir Malik, who travelled with the Indian women’s team to Belgrade, told PTI.

“That Nisha is safe. It’s fake news that she has died,” he added.

In Sonepat, the police suspect that a coach of the academy could be behind the gruesome incident.

The police said five to six rounds of bullets were fired and added that an investigation was underway. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem.

Inputs from PTI