CHANDIGARH, India: The Great Khali, standing 7 feet 3 inches (220 centimeters) and weighing 420 pounds (190 kilograms), has earned prizes, movie roles and piles of money for his prowess on the wrestling mat.But officials said Thursday that the Indian-born World Wrestling Entertainment star had earned a new reward for his body slams and headlocks — a promotion in Punjab's police force.
The entertainer, whose real name is Dilip Singh Rana, kept his day job as a police officer in the northern state of Punjab when he moved to the United States to wrestle.
Police officials granted him extended sick leave in 2006 and were happy he used that time to become a star.
"He has brought the force international fame and has made us all very proud with his many achievements as a wrestler," said senior police official Rajan Gupta.
"It was the Punjab Police that first nurtured and promoted The Great Khali as a bodybuilder and wrestler," Gupta said.
Still with the WWE, Rana is expected to return for a stint of police work next week. It's unclear how long he'll be with the force.
Rana, previously an assistant sub inspector, is now a sub inspector. It wasn't known if the promotion would raise Rana's salary from its current 15,000 rupees (US$375; €243) a month.
In addition to wrestling, Rana also acts, playing alongside Adam's Sandler in "The Longest Yard" in 2005.
He has said he would like to continue wrestling and pursue a career in Bollywood.
Rana, who made his wrestling debut in April 2006, took his moniker after Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction who wears a necklace of human heads.
His biography on the WWE Web site says: "This enormous monster has walked the jungles of India unafraid of pythons and wrestled White Bengal tigers."
Source: www.iht.com
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