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

The Delhi High Court recently denied bail to two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in wrestler Sagar Dhankar's murder case.

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav said that it was a case of "a premeditated and gruesome assault resulting in death" and that a lot of material is yet to be tested at trial.

The Court noted that the Supreme Court had raised concerns over Kumar's conduct before his arrest and that "his capacity to influence the outcome of the trial given his standing, have not been shown to have altered in any material particular". 

"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 on the ordinary parameters governing Section 439 CrPC/ 483 BNSS. The application is, accordingly, dismissed," Justice Kaurav ordered.

Kumar was denied bail by the trial court on February 6, 2026, in connection with the 2021 murder of junior wrestler Dhankar. He was arrested in May 2021 after an alleged assault at Chhatrasal Stadium, where Dhankar suffered fatal injuries during a late-night clash, allegedly linked to a property dispute. Police have named Kumar as the main accused, charging him with murder and criminal conspiracy.

Earlier, Kumar had been granted bail by the Delhi High Court. However, the relief was subsequently cancelled by the Supreme Court, which raised concerns about the potential influence on witnesses and the need to ensure a fair trial.

In his fresh application, Kumar has argued that his bail plea can be considered afresh as all public witnesses have been examined. The contention is opposed by both the Police and counsel representing Dhankar's family.

Advocates RS Malik, Sahil Malik, Mamta, Aditya Solanki, Vanshak Jain, Keshav Bharadwaj, Rohit Kumar Dalal and Abhishek Kumar appeared for Sushil Kumar.

Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) Raghuinder Verma represented the State.

Advocates Joginder Tuli, Joshini Tuli, Taniya Qureshi and Komal Jha appeared for Sagar Dhankar's family.

[Read Order]