Delhi High Court grants regular bail to wrestler Sushil Kumar in Sagar Dhankar murder case

Sushil Kumar

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday granted regular bail to wrestler Sushil Kumar in connection with the murder of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar. Kumar was arrested in May 2021.

A bench, headed by Justice Sanjeev Narula, granted bail for Kumar -- the key accused in the death of Sagar Dhankar -- on a bail bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of like amount.

He was earlier granted seven days interim bail for knee surgery in July 2023.

Here's what happened:

In October 2022, a Delhi court charged Olympian Sushil Kumar with the murder of Sagar Dhankar during a brawl on May 4, 2021. The court slapped charges of murder, rioting, unlawful assembly and criminal conspiracy against Sushil Kumar and 17 others.

According to the Delhi Police charge sheet in the murder case, Sushil Kumar and his associates beat up Dhankar and others with sticks, hockey and baseball bat for 30-40 minutes after bolting the gate of Chhatrasal Stadium from inside.

Dhankar and his four friends were allegedly assaulted by Kumar and others at the stadium on the intervening night of May 4 and 5 over a property dispute. Sagar succumbed to injuries later.

According to the post-mortem report, Dhankar suffered cerebral damage from the impact of a blunt object.

Kumar had been lodged in Tihar jail in the case.