Two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar’s legal troubles deepened on Wednesday as the Supreme Court cancelled his bail in connection with the 2021 murder of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra overturned the Delhi High Court’s March 4 order that had granted the wrestler bail. The top court’s decision came on a petition filed by Sagar’s father, Ashok Dhankad, challenging the High Court’s ruling. Reading out the operative part of the judgment, Justice Karol directed that Kumar must surrender within one week.
Senior advocate Siddharth Mridul represented the Dhankad family, while veteran lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for Kumar.
The Case and the Allegations
The case stems from a violent incident on May 4, 2021, in the parking lot of Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium. Sagar Dhankar, a 23-year-old wrestler from Haryana’s Rohtak, was allegedly assaulted by Kumar and several others, along with his friends Sonu and Amit Kumar. The attack, reportedly linked to a property dispute, left Dhankar with fatal head injuries caused by blunt force trauma. His two friends survived but were injured.
According to the Delhi Police charge sheet, Kumar is described as the “kingpin” who masterminded the assault to reassert his authority within the wrestling fraternity, after rumours of his waning influence reportedly dented his ego. Kumar, however, has consistently denied these allegations.
The Manhunt and Arrest
Following the incident, Kumar evaded arrest for 18 days, moving through Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. His run ended on May 23, 2021, when Delhi Police apprehended him in Mundka after he allegedly came to collect cash, travelling on a borrowed scooty from a fellow national-level athlete.
After his arrest, Kumar was suspended from his Railways job and placed in judicial custody.
The Trial and Bail Battle
In October 2022, a Delhi trial court framed charges against Kumar and 17 co-accused under multiple sections of the IPC, including murder, rioting, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, and robbery, along with offences under the Arms Act.
While seeking bail from the Delhi High Court, Kumar argued that he had already spent three and a half years in jail, and the trial was moving at a snail’s pace – with only 31 of 222 prosecution witnesses examined so far. The High Court, citing prolonged incarceration and the slow trial, granted him bail earlier this year.
However, the Supreme Court’s decision now reverses that order, meaning the Olympian must return to custody.
From Olympic Glory to Courtroom Battles
Once a celebrated figure in Indian sport, Sushil Kumar brought home a bronze medal from the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver from the 2012 London Games, cementing his place as one of India’s wrestling greats. But in recent years, his legacy has been overshadowed by this high-profile criminal case – a fall from grace as dramatic as his rise.
With the Supreme Court’s order, the focus now shifts back to the ongoing trial, where the decorated wrestler faces the most serious battle of his life – one fought not on the mat, but in a courtroom.
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