Olympic medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar and his aide Ajay were arrested in outer Delhi’s Mundka area on Sunday. The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch was handed over the case related to the Chhatrasal Stadium murder that led to the death of a 23-year-old wrestler.
Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra granted the police six-day custody of Sushil Kumar, who was physically produced in court. The case relates to the May 4 incident at the stadium in which wrestler Sagar Rana died and two of his friends, Sonu and Amit Kumar, were injured after they were allegedly assaulted by Sushil Kumar and other wrestlers.
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According to a report in ANI, Sushil Kumar had asked his associate to make a video of the ‘assault’ to ensure that he continues to have influence in the wrestling circuit.
Sushil’s apprehension comes after a Bollywoodish game of ‘cat and mouse’ with the police as the wrestler had been on the run after links connected him to the Chhatrasal Stadium murder case. He snuck past at least six state borders and evading a police dragnet, according to a report in The Indian Express.
Sushil Kumar left Delhi as soon as he got to know about the wrestler’s death, the police said, adding that multiple teams were formed to trace him and his aide but he kept changing his location regularly.
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The Delhi Police had announced a reward of Rs one lakh for information leading to the arrest of Sushil Kumar, who had since been on the run. Another reward of Rs 50,000 was announced for Ajay Kumar’s arrest.
“On Sunday morning, we got source-based input that Sushil Kumar, along with his associate, was on the way to collect cash from one of his friends in West Delhi when he was caught by a team of special cell from Mundka," a police officer told PTI.
Several teams, including the Crime Branch and four teams of the Special cell, conducted raids in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Punjab, another official said.
Two-time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar in police custody, visuals from Saket Police Station.#SushilKumar pic.twitter.com/yKtkQQFoKW— News18 Sports (@News18Sports) May 23, 2021
“A team led by ACP Attar Singh and Inspector Shiv Kumar made the arrest from outside Mundka metro station. Sushil was driving a two-wheeler with Ajay riding pillion. They had come to collect money from one of their associates but police laid a trap and arrested them,” Delhi Police spokesperson, Chinmoy Biswal told The Indian Express.
The report adds, that the two-wheeler is registered in the name of a Delhi-based national-level handball player who has been part of India’s Asian Games women’s team.
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The police said the case, which is currently being investigated by the northwest district police, will be officially transferred to the Crime Branch unit by Monday.
“We have been told verbally that the case will be further investigated by the team of the Crime Branch. But the case will be officially handed over to us latest by tomorrow (Monday)," a senior police official said.
Police are also probing the link between Sushil Kumar and alleged gangster Kala Jatheri, whose nephew Sonu was also injured in the brawl, and the exact motive behind the incident, the officials said. Earlier, a Delhi court had refused to grant anticipatory bail to the two-time Olympic medallist, saying he was prima facie the main conspirator and allegations against him were serious in nature.
The Delhi Police filed an FIR in the case under sections 302 (murder), 308 (culpable homicide), 365 (kidnapping), 325 (causing grievous hurt), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was also registered under sections 188 (Disobedience to order by public servant), 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC and various sections under the Arms Act.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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