Sushil Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted fellow wrestler Sagar Rana, police said (File)
New Delhi:
Wrestler Sushil Kumar, one of the most successful sportspersons in the country, has been denied pre-arrest bail by a Delhi court in a murder case. A non-bailable warrant was issued against the missing Olympic medallist in the case, and police have announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information that leads to his arrest.
According to police, Sushil Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted fellow wrestler Sagar Rana, 23, and his two friends on May 4 at the national capital’s Chhatrasal Stadium. All three had to be hospitalised. Mr Rana later died of his injuries.
Apart from Sushil Kumar, Ajay, Prince Dalal, Sonu, Sagar, Amit and others have also been named in the case.
A reward of Rs 50,000 has been announced for co-accused Ajay, who is also missing.
Police have been raiding several places in Delhi and its surrounding cities, and neighbouring states, to arrest the champion wrestler.
Sushil Kumar had approached the Rohini court seeking protection from arrest, claiming that the probe against him was biased and that no injuries caused to the victim were attributable to him, news agency PTI reported.
The Public Prosecutor had requested the court to dismiss his petition, contenting police had found electronic evidence against him. He also said the wrestler was a flight risk.
Sushil Kumar’s lawyer argued that custodial interrogation was not required as all the recoveries, including vehicle, weapon and stick, had been made by the police.
Sushil Kumar won a bronze medal in 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver medal in 2012 London Olympics.
With inputs from PTI