New Delhi, March 3: In a significant development, the Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted bail to Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar, who had been jailed for his alleged involvement in the murder of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar. The incident took place at Delhi's Chhatrasal Stadium in May 2021.
Justice Sanjeev Narula provided the relief, instructing Kumar to submit a personal bond of ₹50,000 along with two sureties of an equivalent amount.
The high-profile case revolves around accusations against Kumar and several others, who were charged with fatally assaulting Dhankar and his associates following an alleged property dispute. According to the official post-mortem report, Dhankar died from severe cerebral injuries caused by blunt-force trauma.
Highlighting the prolonged duration of Kumar’s imprisonment, Advocate R K Malik, representing the Olympian, emphasized that Kumar had already spent three-and-a-half years behind bars. Malik pointed out that despite the prosecution listing around 200 witnesses, only 31 had been examined to date. Given the slow progression of the trial, Malik successfully argued for bail on grounds of considerable judicial delay.
The prosecution strongly opposed Kumar’s plea, but the court ultimately sided with the defense, granting conditional relief to the wrestler.
The case continues to draw attention due to the involvement of a prominent sports figure and the severity of the allegations.
