Delhi HC refuses to grant bail to wrestler Sushil Kumar
The Delhi High Court has rejected the regular bail plea of Olympian Sushil Kumar in connection with the alleged murder of former junior national wrestling
The Delhi High Court has rejected the regular bail plea of Olympian Sushil Kumar in connection with the alleged murder of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar in May 2021. Justice Purushaindra Kumar dismissed the bail application on August 6, 2026 taking into account concerns raised by the Supreme Court regarding the possibility of Mr. Kumar influencing witnesses, his conduct before his arrest, the seriousness of the alleged offence, and his potential to affect the ongoing trial. The court noted that although bail is generally considered the rule and incarceration an exception, the present case involved a “premeditated and gruesome assault resulting in death”.
It observed that the prosecution’s case was supported by the recovery of a firearm, video footage, and substantial material that was yet to be tested during trial. Kumar’s counsel pointed out that he had remained in custody for more than five years, and that only formal and official witnesses remained to be examined. The Delhi Police and the father of the deceased opposed the application. Kumar’s counsel submitted that the father of the deceased, whose complaint had contributed to the earlier cancellation of bail, had not supported the prosecution’s case during his testimony. The defence’s claim that the deceased’s father had failed to support the prosecution was itself disputed, the The High Court observed.
It held that whether the testimony by the father of the deceased ultimately supported or weakened the prosecution’s case was a matter to be assessed by the trial court after considering the evidence as a whole. The court also relied on the Supreme Court’s earlier observations that Mr. Kumar had considerable social standing and influence, and that witnesses had allegedly turned hostile on occasions when he was granted temporary liberty. “Whether the deposition of Ashok Dhankad (the 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 Delhi High 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,” the High Court concluded. Sushil Kumar was arrested in May 2021 in connection with the case.
The BriefWire