Chhatrasal Stadium Sagar Dhankar murder case: Court seeks police’s response on wrestler Sushil Kumar’s bail plea

The Delhi High Court on Friday, February 20, 2026, sought the opinion of Delhi Police on the bail plea of ​​Olympian Sushil Kumar in the murder case of former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar.

Justice Anup J. Bhambhani issued notice to the Delhi Police and the relatives of the deceased and asked them to submit a status report and a response respectively.

Noting that the Supreme Court annulled the bail decision given to Kumar by the Supreme Court in August last year, the judge said, “I think you are being ambitious.”

“What do you expect from me after receiving the opinion of the Supreme Court?” the court asked.

The defendant’s lawyer said that the bail request should be taken into consideration since all public witnesses were questioned at the hearing.

However, Delhi Police lawyer and relatives of the deceased said that all the witnesses have not been interrogated yet.

The court said, “Submit a status report/detailed answer until the next hearing date. Report again on May 4.”

Kumar was arrested in May 2021 and a sessions court granted him one-week interim bail for knee surgery on July 19, 2023.

On August 13, 2025, the Supreme Court canceled Kumar’s bail, setting aside the March 4 high court order, stating that his “dominant influence” on witnesses or delaying the trial process cannot be ignored.

On February 6 this year, a court denied bail to Kumar, saying the possibility of the accused influencing witnesses “cannot be ruled out”.

The trial court, in October 2022, framed charges against Kumar under sections of the Indian Penal Code relating to murder, criminal conspiracy, intimidation and sedition with a deadly weapon. The charges were also framed under the provisions of the Arms Act.

The trial court noted that Dhankar was severely attacked with baseball and hockey sticks by several accused after he was kidnapped and brought to the Chhatrasal Stadium.