Olympian Sushil Kumar granted interim bail, will attend father’s last rites

A Delhi court on Monday granted four-day interim bail to Olympic medalist wrestler Sushil Kumar, an accused in the Sagar Dhankhar murder case, on humanitarian grounds to attend his father’s last rites. Sushil Kumar is in judicial custody since June 2, 2021. Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar, an accused in the Sagar Dhankhar murder case, had sought interim bail to attend his father’s last rites. The court on Monday allowed Sushil Kumar’s plea and granted him interim bail for four days.

Additional Sessions Judge Shivaji Anand heard Sushil’s plea. He said- keeping in view the fact that the father of accused Sushil Kumar has passed away. He has to be cremated. On humanitarian grounds, the court grants interim bail to the accused on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of the same amount till March 6-9. However, the court also said that in view of the danger to the witnesses and the security of Sushil Kumar, at least two security personnel will have to stay with the accused for 24 hours.

The court said that the entire cost of the security personnel deployed for monitoring and security will have to be borne by the family of Sushil Kumar. The accused is directed to surrender before the concerned Jail Superintendent on March 10, after the expiry of the period of interim bail. In the same case, the counsel for the complainant, Advocate Nitin S. Vashishtha opposed Sushil’s plea. He said that since the matter is at the stage of testimony and there is threat to the witness from the accused, it would not be appropriate to grant him interim bail.

The court directed Sushil not to threaten the witnesses during the interim bail period. Also will not try to tamper with the evidence. The accused will not even be involved in any crime. The court said- If the accused is found violating the conditions, his interim bail can be cancelled. It is known that Sushil Kumar is one of the 18 accused who are accused of beating up junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankhar in May 2021 at Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium over a property dispute. Presently all the accused are in judicial custody.