"Clearly Visible & Seen To Be Causing Severe Injuries": Delhi Court Denies Bail To Wrestler Sushil Kumar In Chhatrasal Stadium Murder Case

A Delhi Court on Tuesday denied bail to Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar in connection with the Chhatrasal Stadium murder case of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankhar.

Additional Sessions Judge Shivaji Anand rejected the bail plea moved by Kumar after hearing his counsel and Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Shrivastava at length today.

The Court was of the view that prima facie, Kumar is visible in the video as reflected in the photographs taken out of the video footage and that he could be clearly seen to be causing severe injuries.

The Court accepted the Prosecution's argument that when renowned people commit such heinous offence, then it's detrimental effects on the society are enormous.

The bail plea moved through Advocate Pradeep Rana stated that the investigating agency has left no stone unturned in presenting a false and guilty image of Kumar and that he has wrongly received scrutiny despite the cardinal rule of presumption of innocence unless proven guilty. 

Submitting that the case is being highlighted in the media, the plea read thus:

"Leaks to the media were facilitated on an unprecedented level and false information was fed to the media in order to wrongfully establish a connection between the present applicant/accused and renowned gangsters. They had even gone to the point of painting a grotesque image of the present applicant/accused where he was said to be a gangster himself and even questions were raised against his antecedents. However, after filing of the chargesheet, all the claims and leaks made by the investigating Agency have been found to be untrue and without any footing in the reality."

The plea had also stated that Kumar is in judicial custody since June 2 and chargesheet has also been filed in the matter, therefore his presence for custodial interrogation is not required.

"That the investigating agency had ample opportunity to investigate the matter properly and reveal the true facts of the case. However, with due deliberation, actual facts were withheld, and despite having considerable time, the investigating agency has not brought on record the role/explanation qua the alleged persons whose names figured in the initial version," the bail plea read further.

Sushil Kumar was arrested from Delhi Police. His associate, Ajay Kumar, a physical education teacher at Chhatrasal Stadium, was arrested and the Police made their arrest from the Mundka area.

The Delhi Police had registered an FIR under sec. 302 (punishment for murder) and sec. 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 365, 325, 323, 341,506, 188, 269, 34 and 120B of IPC along with sec. 25, 54 and 59 of the Arms Act.

Reportedly, Sagar, who had been training at the iconic Chhatrasal Stadium, died while two of his friends got injured after they were allegedly assaulted by Sushil Kumar and some other wrestlers on May 4, at the Chhatrasal Stadium premises in Delhi. 

Advocate Ajay Kumar Pipaniya and Nitin Vashist appeared on behalf of the victims; Advocate Pradeep Rana appeared for Kumar whereas APP Atul Shrivastava appeared for the State.