Wrestler Sushil Kumar was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in a homicide case. He was freed after posting a Rs 50,000 bond and two guarantees of the same value.
A Bench, led by Justice Sanjiv Narula, provided bail to Kumar, the primary suspect in the death of 23-year-old junior wrestler Sagar Dhankar, which occurred in May 2021.
The two-time Olympic medallist faced murder charges, as well as accusations of rioting, unlawful assembly, and criminal conspiracy after Dhankar died from injuries inflicted by Kumar and his associates.
Dhankar succumbed to the wounds he sustained when assaulted by Sushil Kumar and others in the Chhatrasal Stadium parking area, New Delhi, on May 4, 2021. Kumar and his colleagues attacked the young wrestler due to a property disagreement.
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Delhi Police identified Kumar as the primary suspect in a 170-page chargesheet, pointing to disputes regarding Dhankar’s unwillingness to leave the apartment and speculation that Kumar was afraid of him.
Kumar evaded arrest for more than two weeks prior to his apprehension in Mundka, located in western Delhi. He has been in legal custody since June 2, 2021.
The police stated that the dispute started over an apartment in Model Town, owned by Kumar, which Dhankar had formerly resided in.
A disagreement regarding rent intensified when Dhankar reportedly assaulted Kumar, resulting in the deadly fight outside Chhatrasal Stadium. Dhankar subsequently passed away due to brain injury resulting from blunt force trauma.
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Sushil Kumar, the main suspect in the Sagar Dhankar murder case, has received interim bail several times. In March 2023, Rohini Court provided him with four days of bail on compassionate grounds to conduct his father’s final rites.
The court permitted his release from March 6 to March 9, 2023, on a bond of Rs 1 lakh with two sureties.
Subsequently, he was released on bail once more from July 23-30, 2023, during that time he had a knee surgery. Following these releases, Kumar turned himself in at Delhi’s Tihar Jail once more in August 2023.
