DELHI POLICE have launched raids to locate top wrestler and two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar for questioning over his alleged role in the murder of a 23-year-old former junior national champion, who was beaten to death in a clash involving two groups on the Chhatrasal stadium premises in North-West Delhi late Tuesday night.
“We are probing the role of Sushil Kumar as allegations have been made against him. We sent our team to his house but he was found to be missing. We are looking for him. Several teams have been formed to trace the accused persons,” Additional DCP (north-west) Dr Guriqbal Singh Sidhu said.
“In the initial probe, it has come out that…Sushil Pehelwan (Kumar) and his aides committed this crime…,” reads the FIR in the case registered on the basis of a PCR call and filed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Jitendra Singh.
The FIR states that two others were injured in the incident that lasted four hours. They told police that they were “physically assaulted”, it states.
“The deceased was identified as Sagar Kumar, son of a Delhi Police Head Constable, and the injured have been identified as Sonu Mahal (35) and Amit Kumar (27). We have registered an FIR and arrested one Prince Dalal (24), and seized a double-barrel gun from the spot,” Sidhu said.
According to Sidhu, police found that a quarrel had allegedly taken place between Sushil Kumar, Ajay, Prince, Sonu, Sagar, Amit and others in the parking area of the stadium.
Sagar and his friends were staying in a house linked to Kumar near the stadium in the Model Town area and had been asked to vacate recently, police sources said while providing details of the dispute that led to the killing.
Sushil Kumar did not respond to calls and messages from The Indian Express seeking comment. Sagar competed in the 97-kg Greco-Roman category, and was a former junior national champion and part of the senior national camp. “Sonu Mahal is a close associate of gangster Kala Jathedi and was earlier arrested in a robbery and murder case,” police sources said.
The FIR states that a call was made to the police control room around 2 am from Chhatrasal stadium about a “firing incident”. The caller claimed that he saw two men with pistols firing at others, it states. When police reached the spot, they found five cars in the parking area but nobody inside, the FIR states.
“During inquiry, we found that a PCR vehicle had come here and rushed the injured persons to BJRM hospital…,” the FIR states. While Sagar succumbed to his injuries, Sonu and Amit are undergoing treatment, police said.
According to police, a district crime team found a “loaded double-barrel gun and three cartridges” inside a Scorpio car parked outside the stadium. “The accused…were huddled in cars and assaulted/attacked each other,” reads the FIR.
In 2008, Sushil became only the second Indian to win an Olympic medal, after Khasahaba Jadhav in 1952. He upgraded the Beijing bronze four years later at the London Games, where he won the silver.
Sushil is the only Indian athlete to win back-to-back Olympic medals in an individual sport. He also has a world championship title to his name.
The 37-year-old could not take part in the Rio Olympics after a fallout with the federation over selection issues and has rarely competed since then. He is not in the fray for this year’s Tokyo Olympics as well.