One of India's most successful Olympic wrestlers, Sushil Kumar, is facing increasing legal trouble. The Supreme Court has cancelled the bail of Sushil Kumar, the main accused in the murder of junior national champion Sagar Dhankhar.
Sports News: The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of Sushil Kumar, a two-time Olympic medalist and the main accused in the murder of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankhar. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra overturned the Delhi High Court's March 4 order, which had granted bail to Kumar.
Justice Sanjay Karol, while accepting the petition filed by Sagar's father, stated that Kumar would have to surrender within a week. Prior to this, after being released on bail, Sushil Kumar had returned to his duties with Northern Railways, but now he will have to surrender and go to jail within seven days.
Supreme Court Order
Justice Karol, while reading out the verdict, said that Sushil Kumar must surrender to jail within seven days. Before this order, Sushil Kumar had returned to his duties with Northern Railways after being released on bail, but now it is mandatory for him to return to jail. In this case, Sushil Kumar is accused of assaulting Sagar Dhankhar and his two friends, along with his other associates, on May 4, 2021, in the parking lot of Delhi's Chhatrasal Stadium over a property dispute. Sagar Dhankhar died in the attack, while his companions were seriously injured.
Dhankhar, a 23-year-old wrestler from Rohtak, Haryana, died from his injuries. Police conducted an 18-day search operation for Sushil Kumar in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. He was arrested in the Mundka area while arriving on a scooter to collect cash. Following his arrest, he was suspended from his railway job and sent to judicial custody.
Serious Charges
A Delhi lower court framed charges against Sushil Kumar and his 17 co-accused in October 2022 under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). These include charges of murder, rioting, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery, and offences under the Arms Act. Police alleged that Sushil Kumar orchestrated the attack to maintain his dominance in the wrestling community after his waning influence and ego were hurt.
Sushil Kumar has denied all the charges. In his bail plea in the High Court, he argued that he had already spent three and a half years in jail and the trial was not likely to conclude soon due to the large number of witnesses. Only 31 out of 222 prosecution witnesses have been examined.
Olympic Achievements
Sushil Kumar is one of the select few athletes from India to have won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympics. The brilliance of his Olympic career has remained despite his legal disputes. Senior advocate Siddharth Mridul represented the deceased's father, Ashok Dhankhar, while senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for Sushil Kumar in the Supreme Court. The court, accepting the petition of the deceased's family, ordered the cancellation of bail.
