Delhi high court denies bail to Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar in murder case
The Delhi high court in March last year granted Kumar bail but the Supreme Court subsequently set aside that order in August 2025
The Delhi High Court has ruled against granting bail to Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar, who is accused of murdering 23-year-old Sagar Dhankar at the Chhatrasal Stadium in 2021. The court's decision was announced by a bench led by Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav on Thursday. Sushil Kumar, a medalist at the Beijing and London Olympics, was apprehended in May 2021.
The High Court dismissed Kumar's appeal against a February 6 decision by the trial court, which had denied bail on the grounds that Kumar might influence witnesses. Kumar's legal team argued that all public witnesses had been questioned, but the Delhi Police and Dhankar’s family contended that this wasn't the case. The Delhi Police, in their filing, claimed that Kumar killed Dhankar due to his ego being hurt over diminishing clout and a desire to regain authority among younger athletes.
In October 2022, the trial court charged him with murder, kidnapping, robbery, and the Arms Act. Despite the Supreme Court setting aside their bail order in August 2025, Kumar maintained that his petition warranted reconsideration due to a change in circumstances.
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