The Supreme Court on Wednesday cancelled the bail of two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, the prime accused in the murder of junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar, and directed him to surrender within a week. The decision came after a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra set aside the Delhi High Court’s March 4 order granting Kumar bail. The petition was filed by Sagar’s father, Ashok Dhankad, challenging the earlier bail order. Senior counsel Siddharth Mridul represented the victim’s father, while senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for Kumar.

The case stems from a violent incident on May 4, 2021, when Kumar, along with several associates, allegedly assaulted Dhankar and his two friends, Sonu and Amit Kumar, in the parking lot of Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium, reportedly over a property dispute. Dhankar, a 23-year-old wrestler from Haryana’s Rohtak, succumbed to injuries caused by blunt force trauma, while his companions were left injured. The attack triggered an 18-day manhunt for Kumar, who evaded arrest by moving across multiple states before being apprehended in Delhi’s Mundka area. He has since been charged, along with 17 co-accused, under various provisions of the IPC, including murder, rioting, conspiracy, and offences under the Arms Act.

According to the Delhi Police chargesheet, Kumar was the “kingpin” of the attack, allegedly orchestrated to reassert his dominance in the wrestling community after rumours of his waning influence. Kumar, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a silver at the 2012 London Games, has denied the allegations. His bail was granted by the high court citing prolonged incarceration and slow trial progress—only 31 of the 222 prosecution witnesses had been examined in over three years. The Supreme Court’s latest decision now reverses that order, sending the case back into judicial custody proceedings.