The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar in connection with the murder case of junior wrestler Sagar Dhankar. Kumar was arrested in 2021 following Dhankar’s death on May 4, and had been in custody for more than three and a half years.
Justice Sanjeev Narula granted bail to Kumar on furnishing a bond of ₹50,000 along with two sureties of the same amount. The detailed order is yet to be released.
The case stems from an altercation at Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi, where Sagar Dhankar and other victims were allegedly assaulted by Kumar and his associates. Dhankar sustained critical injuries and later succumbed to them. Kumar has been facing trial along with several co-accused.
His legal counsel, advocates R.S. Malik and Sumeet Shokeen, argued that despite his prolonged custody, only 30 out of 186 prosecution witnesses had been examined, leading to delays in the trial. Citing this, they sought bail for Kumar, which was subsequently granted.
Previously, in July 2023, Kumar had received interim bail for knee surgery. Sushil Kumar is regarded as one of India’s most successful wrestlers, winning a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver at the 2012 London Olympics.
