The Delhi High Court rejected the bail application of two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in the 2021 Sagar Dhankar murder case. Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav dismissed the plea, calling the crime a premeditated and gruesome assault that resulted in death. Consequently, the celebrated wrestler will remain behind bars while the trial proceeds.
The case involves the fatal beating of 23-year-old former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar inside Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium. Police officers arrested Sushil Kumar in May 2021 after investigators linked him directly to the violent clash.
High Court Cites Threat to Witnesses and Gravity of Crime
Sushil Kumar sought regular bail after his legal team argued that trial courts had already examined key prosecution witnesses. Furthermore, his lawyers contended that prolonged incarceration continues to harm his health.
However, Justice Kaurav firmly rejected these arguments. The judge noted that the Supreme Court had previously cancelled Kumar’s earlier bail due to grave concerns over witness tampering.
Additionally, the court emphasized that the wrestler’s influential status still poses a strong risk to the integrity of the trial.
Prosecutors Detail Bruised Ego and Planned Violence
According to the Delhi Police charge sheet, bad blood developed between Sushil Kumar and Sagar Dhankar over a financial and property dispute.
Dhankar lived in a Delhi flat owned by Kumar’s wife, and a rent argument sparked bitter friction. Moreover, prosecutors alleged that Kumar felt threatened by Dhankar’s growing reputation among local wrestlers.
On the night of May 4, 2021, an armed group led by Kumar abducted Dhankar and his associates from Shalimar Bagh. The assailants brought the victims to the Chhatrasal Stadium parking lot and locked the main gates.
Thereafter, the gang brutally tortured Dhankar and his friends for over 30 minutes using hockey sticks, baseball bats, and iron rods. Dhankar suffered extensive internal injuries and died during emergency hospital treatment.
Following the brutal assault, Sushil Kumar fled Delhi and evaded arrest for nearly three weeks. Delhi Police issued a lookout notice and announced a ₹1 lakh reward for information leading to his capture. Police finally arrested Kumar and his associate in Outer Delhi on May 23, 2021.
Critically, investigators recovered a mobile phone video recorded during the attack. Prosecutors revealed that Kumar instructed an associate to film the beating to terrorize rivals and assert dominance.
The clip showed Dhankar bleeding profusely on the ground while Kumar stood over him holding a stick.
In October 2022, a Delhi trial court framed formal charges against Sushil Kumar and 17 co-accused. The charges include murder, rioting, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and unlawful assembly.
As a result of the High Court’s latest ruling, Kumar will remain in Tihar Jail while prosecution witnesses present evidence in court.
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