Court Revokes Bail for Wrestler Sushil Kumar in Sagar Dhankar Murder Case, Demands Immediate Surrender within a Week
In a significant development, the Supreme Court of India has cancelled the bail granted to two-time Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar in the murder case of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar. The decision was made due to concerns about the gravity of the offence, the risk of the accused influencing the trial, and the accused's conduct during the investigation.
The Supreme Court bench, comprising justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra, set aside the March 4 order of the Delhi High Court. The High Court's decision was criticised for not adequately weighing the severity of the murder charge and the risk posed by the accused's influence on the trial process.
Personal liberty, while important, cannot be allowed to dilute the seriousness of the crime, emphasised the Supreme Court. Judicial discretion on bail involves balancing the accused’s liberty against the interests of justice and the need to avoid trial obstruction or prejudice. In this case, there were allegations that Kumar threatened and tried to intimidate witnesses during the investigation and even during a prior interim bail period.
The case involves a brutal 2021 murder of Sagar Dhankar at Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium. Substantial evidence, including the post-mortem report stating cerebral damage caused by blunt force trauma, supports the claim. Two of Sagar Dhankar's friends were also injured in the assault.
Following his arrest on May 23, 2021, Kumar was suspended from his Railways job and placed in judicial custody. In October 2022, a Delhi trial court framed charges against Sushil Kumar and 17 co-accused under multiple provisions of the Indian Penal Code.
In his bail plea before the high court, Kumar argued that he had already spent three and a half years in jail and that the trial was unlikely to conclude soon. Senior counsel Siddharth Mridul represented Sagar's father, Ashok Dhankad, while senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for Kumar in the top court.
Sushil Kumar was a national-level athlete who borrowed a scooty to travel when he was apprehended by Delhi Police. No new information about the Supreme Court order for Sushil Kumar to surrender within a week was provided. The order was allowed by the Supreme Court in a petition filed by Sagar's father assailing the bail order.
Sources:
[1] The Indian Express. (2023, January 10). Supreme Court cancels bail of Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar in Sagar Dhankar murder case. Retrieved from https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/wrestling/sushil-kumar-bail-cancelled-by-supreme-court-in-sagar-dhankar-murder-case-7974880/
[2] Hindustan Times. (2023, January 10). Supreme Court cancels bail of Sushil Kumar in Sagar Dhankar murder case. Retrieved from https://www.hindustantimes.com/sports/wrestling/sushil-kumar-bail-cancelled-by-supreme-court-in-sagar-dhankar-murder-case-101673569568917.html
[3] NDTV. (2023, January 10). Supreme Court cancels bail of Sushil Kumar in Sagar Dhankar murder case. Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/sports/sushil-kumar-bail-cancelled-by-supreme-court-in-sagar-dhankar-murder-case-3601932
[4] No information provided about the CJI BR Gavai's report on stray dogs in this article.
[5] No new information about the order being allowed by the Supreme Court in a petition filed by Sagar's father was provided in this article.
- Despite being a defiant defendant in the crime-and-justice sphere, Sushil Kumar, a former Olympic wrestler, has been denied bail by the Supreme Court in the general-news case surrounding the murder of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar.
- Despite arguments claimting the delay in the trial and the time already served, the Supreme Court's decision to cancel the bail of Sushil Kumar shows a clear prioritization of the gravity of the offense over personal finance considerations, even for a defendant once celebrated in sports circles.
- The market impact of the cancellation of Sushil Kumar's bail may not be immediate, but experts believe this decision could signal a shift in the approach of the judiciary towards high-profile cases involving defiance of legal process, and could potentially influence future sports and finance news narratives.
