Sushil Kumar: Indian Olympics hero arrested over murder of fellow wrestler

Sushil Kumar, two-time Olympic medallist, was on the run for nearly three weeks

Olympic wrestler Sushil Kumar sits inside a vehicle after his arrest in New Delhi on 23 May, 2021 (AFP via Getty Images)

Sushil Kumar, India’s two-time Olympic medallist, has been arrested in connection with the murder of a fellow wrestler, after nearly three weeks of being on the run.

Mr Kumar was arrested along with co-accused, whom the police simply named as Ajay, and produced in a court later. They have both been sent to police custody for six days.

The city police had issued a look-out notice for Mr Kumar after a violent clash on 4 May between two rival groups at Chhatrasal wrestling academy in the national capital of Delhi.

Police had also announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh (£968) for information leading to the arrest of Mr Kumar and a reward of Rs 50,000 (£484) for the co-accused.

Three wrestlers were admitted to the hospital following the clash and one of them, 23-year-old Sagar Dhankhar, later succumbed to his injuries.

Police said Mr Dhankhar and his friends were staying in a house linked to Mr Kumar and the brawl happened when they were asked to vacate, according to The Indian Express.

Mr Kumar, who won a silver medal in the 2012 Olympics and a bronze in 2008, now faces charges of murder, abduction and criminal conspiracy, the report said.

Police officer Guriqbal Singh Sidhu told local media that police had “recorded statements of all the victims and they all made allegations against Sushil Kumar.”

Police raided several locations in Delhi and neighbouring cities while searching for Mr Kumar.

Chinmoy Biswal, deputy commissioner of Delhi Police, told AFP: “We have maintained from the first day that he should join the police probe, and present his case.”

He said that if Mr Kumar hadn’t gone on the run, there wouldn't have been “any warrants or reward for his arrest.”

Mr Kumar had last week said that the investigation against him was biased and he was innocent of all wrongdoings in an anticipatory bail application, which was rejected by a court.

The Wrestling Federation of India said that the sport’s image has taken a hit because of the incident. Its assistant secretary Vinod Tomar told news agency PTI that the sport “struggled hard in earning a reputation because for long wrestlers were known only as a bunch of goons.”