NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has refused to grant bail to Olympian Sushil Kumar in the alleged murder case of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar.
Justice Purushaindra Kumar dismissed the celebrated wrestler’s bail application on August 6, citing concerns over influencing witnesses raised by the Supreme Court when it cancelled his earlier bail, his conduct prior to arrest, the gravity of the offence and his capacity to influence the ongoing trial’s outcome.
The judge emphasised that while bail is ordinarily the rule and jail the exception, the offence in the present case was a “premeditated and gruesome assault resulting in death”, which is corroborated by the recovery of a firearm, video evidence and a large body of material yet to be tested at trial.
Seeking relief, the counsel for the accused alleged that the deceased’s father, whose complaint led to the earlier cancellation of bail, has not supported the prosecution’s case in the trial.
It was therefore contended that the “change in circumstances”, along with the fact that Kumar had been in custody for over five years and only formal and official witnesses were left to be examined, entitled him to regular bail.
Delhi Police and Dhankar’s father opposed the bail application. Agencies
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