Wrestler Sushil Kumar moves Delhi Court seeking bail in murder case

Wrestler Sushil Kumar on Monday moved a Delhi Court seeking bail in the Chhatrasal Stadium assault and murder case [Sushil Kumar v. State].

Kumar, through his counsel Pradeep Rana, stated that he had been in judicial custody since June 2, 2021.

Among other grounds, argued that his achievements in the wrestling world led him to train young wrestlers and the results are there to see in the recently conducted Tokyo Olympics.

"It is pertinent to mention here that due to exceptional achievement of the applicant/accused in the sport of wrestling, he was the responsibility to train young wrestlers in order to enhance the level of sports in the country. The efforts of the applicant/accused had started to bear fruits and India is on the road to become a powerhouse in wrestling, Everyone witnessed the unprecedented performance by the wrestling contingent at the Tokyo Olympics, 2020," his bail plea stated.

According to the prosecution, Kumar and other accused took the deceased Sonu to the stadium at gunpoint and beat him up mercilessly. Kumar and others were booked under Sections 302 (murder), 147 (rioting) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, among other charges.

“… now the chargesheet in the present case has been filed which evidently depicts the fact that investigation qua the applicant/accused has already been completed and he is no more required for any kind of further custodial interrogation, much less recovery or discovery of anything incriminating in nature concerning the facts...” the bail plea stated.

Kumar has also assured the Court that he would abide by any condition imposed on him, and stated that his judicial custody was "only a pre-trial incarceration".

During the remand proceedings following Kumar's arrest in May, the prosecution had argued that his custody was required to inter alia recover more incriminating evidence, trace the accused who are yet to be arrested and uncover the truth.

"Sushil Kumar is the master mind and main culprit of the heinous crime in which a young wrestler died..(as was) evident from the video clip seized from one of the accused and statement of eye witness," it was argued.

The Court was also informed that eight people had been arrested in the case and one licensed pistol was recovered from Kumar.

The bail plea is likely to come up for hearing on Tuesday.