Chhatrasal Murder: Police charge sheet says Indian Olympian wanted to teach lesson to junior wrestlers

Sushil Kumar
Sushil Kumar leaves Delhi Police Special Cell Office on May 23, 2021. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

One of India’s most decorated sportsmen and two-time Olympic medallist is currently lodged in Tihar Jail and faces charges of murder, culpable homicide, a criminal conspiracy among other offences. The Delhi Police on August 02 filed a charge sheet against Sushil Kumar as the main accused and 12 others in connection with the alleged murder of a former junior national wrestling champion at Chhatrasal Stadium.

The brawl at the Chhatrasal Stadium that allegedly led to the death of a former junior national wrestling champion was the result of a conspiracy hatched by Sushil, who wanted to re-establish his supremacy among younger wrestlers, the Delhi Police said in its charge sheet.

There were 'murmurs' that Kumar was scared of the two tenants living in a house he owned and he 'nursed a deep grudge' about the loss of respect in the eyes of his students, it said.

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Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted 23-year-old wrestler Sagar Dhankar, his friend Sonu and three others at the stadium on the intervening night of May 4 and 5 over a property dispute. Later, Sagar succumbed to his injuries.

Sushil Kumar
Sushil Kumar leaves at Delhi Police special cell office to be produced in Rohini Court. (Photo by Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Sushil Kumar arrested
India's Olympic wrestling medallist Sushil Kumar sits inside a vehicle after he was arrested by police over alleged involvement in the murder of a fellow wrestler in New Delhi on May 23, 2021. (Photo by DINESH JOSHI/AFP via Getty Images)
Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar in custody
Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar and his associate Ajay Kumar (back) in the custody of Delhi Police Special Cell on May 23, 2021 in New Delhi. (Photo by Arvind Yadav/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

“The present incident is the result of a criminal conspiracy hatched by accused Sushil Kumar along with his associates to take revenge from Sonu and Sagar,” the police said in its over 1,000-page charge sheet filed on Monday.

The Crime Branch, which is tasked with investigating the case, said Kumar wanted to teach a lesson to Sagar and Sonu and re-establish his supremacy in the stadium through muscle power. It also listed reasons why Kumar and his associates took revenge.

The police investigation established that it was due to the initial reluctance shown by Sagar and Sonu to vacate Kumar's flat and 'murmurs' in the stadium that the Olympic wrestler was scared of the duo and couldn't withstand them.

Another reason, according to the police, was that Kumar had a strong suspicion that wrestlers training under him were passing information about his movements to Sagar and Sonu and the latter could harm him as he had an extensive criminal background.

“When he realised that some of his own trainees were passing information about him to Sonu and Sagar, he felt betrayed and thus nursed a deep grudge against Sonu and Sagar for loss of respect in the eyes of his students,” the charge sheet stated.

Notorious criminal Kala Jathedi, who was recently arrested, told the police that Kumar's ego was hurt after Sagar and Sonu refused to vacate his flat because of which he felt a loss of respect.

The charge sheet names 13 accused, including Kumar, who is named as the main accused.

The police said they relied on the oral dying declaration of Dhankar, scientific evidence including locations of the accused, CCTV footage, weapons and vehicles recovered from the spot.

“From the material collected during the investigation so far precisely mentioned above, there is sufficient material against the accused persons,” it stated, seeking their prosecution under 22 offences of the Indian Penal Code.

The charge sheet mentions the names of 155 prosecution witnesses, including four persons who were injured during the brawl.

The Delhi Police had filed the FIR against the accused for offences such as murder, attempt to murder, culpable homicide, criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery and rioting, among others.

WITH PTI INPUTS