Chhatrasal Stadium murder case: SC cancels bail of wrestler Sushil Kumar
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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of Olympian wrestler Sushil Kumar, a prime accused in the murder of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar, directing him to surrender within a week.
A Bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra allowed the special leave petition (SLP) filed by Dhankar’s father, challenging the Delhi High Court order that had granted bail to Sushil Kumar.
Sushil Kumar, along with others, is accused of allegedly assaulting Dhankar, a resident of Rohtak in Haryana, and his two friends, Sonu and Amit Kumar, in the parking lot of Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi on May 4, 2021, over an alleged property dispute.
He had been in judicial custody since June 2, 2021, until the Delhi High Court granted him bail in March this year.
Following Dhankar’s death, Sushil Kumar had evaded arrest for 18 days, reportedly travelling across Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. He was finally apprehended in Delhi’s Mundka area while attempting to collect cash and borrow a scooty from a national-level player. After his arrest, Kumar was also suspended from his railway job.
In October 2022, a Delhi trial court had framed charges against Sushil Kumar and 17 others, paving the way for their trial. Additional Sessions Judge Shivaji Anand framed charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including those pertaining to murder, rioting, and criminal conspiracy.
The Delhi Police charge sheet identifies Sushil Kumar as the kingpin behind the murder conspiracy.
Sushil Kumar is a decorated Olympian, having won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
With IANS inputs