Delhi HC refuses bail to wrestler Sushil Kumar

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 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.

The court noted that the characterisation of Dhankar’s father’s testimony as unsupportive of the prosecution was disputed.

It further said that the Supreme Court, while cancelling the earlier bail, proceeded on the finding that Kumar had a considerable societal standing and influence and witnesses turned hostile every time he was extended temporary liberty.

“Whether the deposition of Ashok Dhankad (deceased’s father) does or does not support the prosecution is, moreover, a matter of appreciation of evidence that must await the outcome by the trial court. It cannot be treated as a change in circumstances sufficient to unlock the door that the Supreme Court closed,” the court said.

“In these circumstances, this court is not persuaded that the petitioner has made out a case either for a genuine change in circumstances within the meaning of the liberty reserved by the Supreme Court, or, independently, for the grant of regular bail,” it concluded.

Kumar was arrested in May 2021, and a session’s court granted him a week’s interim bail for his knee surgery on July 19, 2023.

On August 13, 2025, the Supreme Court cancelled bail to Kumar in the case by setting aside a high court order, noting that his “domineering influence” over witnesses or delaying the trial proceedings cannot be ruled out.

The high court had granted bail on March 4, 2025.

On February 6, a trial court refused to grant bail to Kumar, saying the possibility that the accused may influence witnesses “cannot be ruled out”.

The trial court, in October 2022, framed charges against Kumar under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections dealing with murder, criminal conspiracy, intimidation and rioting with a deadly weapon.

Charges were also framed under the provisions of the Arms Act.

The trial court had noted that after being abducted and brought to the stadium, Dhankar was severely assaulted by several accused persons with baseball and hockey sticks.