The Delhi high court has refused to grant bail to Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar within the alleged homicide of former junior nationwide wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar.Justice Purushaindra Kumar dismissed Kumar’s bail plea on August 6, citing issues about his skill to affect witnesses, his conduct earlier than his arrest, the seriousness of the alleged offence and his skill to have an effect on the end result of the continued trial.The choose famous that whereas bail is mostly the rule and jail the exception, the case concerned a “premeditated and ugly assault leading to dying”. The courtroom stated this was supported by the restoration of a firearm, video proof and different materials that’s but to be examined through the trial.Kumar’s counsel sought bail on the bottom that circumstances had modified since his earlier bail was cancelled. The lawyer identified that Ashok Dhankad, Sagar’s father whose grievance had led to the sooner cancellation of bail, had not supported the prosecution’s case through the trial.The defence additionally argued that Kumar had already spent greater than 5 years in custody and that solely formal and official witnesses remained to be examined.Delhi Police and Dhankar’s father opposed the bail plea.The excessive courtroom, nonetheless, stated the defence’s declare that Sagar’s father had not supported the prosecution was disputed. It additionally referred to the Supreme Court docket’s earlier choice cancelling Kumar’s bail, wherein it had famous his social standing and affect and the truth that witnesses had turned hostile every time he was given non permanent liberty.“Whether or not the deposition of Ashok Dhankad (deceased’s father) does or doesn’t assist the prosecution is, furthermore, a matter of appreciation of proof that should await the end result by the trial courtroom. It can’t be handled as a change in circumstances ample to unlock the door that the Supreme Court docket closed,” the courtroom stated.“In these circumstances, this courtroom just isn’t persuaded that the petitioner has made out a case both for a real change in circumstances throughout the which means of the freedom reserved by the Supreme Court docket, or, independently, for the grant of standard bail,” it concluded.Kumar was arrested in Could 2021. A classes courtroom later granted him one week’s interim bail for knee surgical procedure on July 19, 2023.The Supreme Court docket cancelled his bail on August 13, 2025, setting apart a Delhi excessive courtroom order. It stated Kumar’s “domineering affect” over witnesses and the potential for delaying the trial proceedings couldn’t be dominated out.The Excessive Court docket had granted Kumar bail on March 4, 2025. Earlier, on February 6, a trial courtroom had rejected his bail plea, saying the chance that he may affect witnesses “can’t be dominated out”.In October 2022, the trial courtroom framed fees towards Kumar below Indian Penal Code provisions referring to homicide, prison conspiracy, intimidation and rioting with a lethal weapon. Expenses had been additionally framed below the Arms Act.The trial courtroom had stated Dhankar was kidnapped and brought to the stadium, the place he was severely assaulted by a number of accused individuals utilizing baseball and hockey sticks.
