Sushil Kumar, the wrestler imprisoned since 2021, has had his bail request rejected in the Chhatrasal Stadium murder investigation.

The Delhi High Court has denied bail to renowned Olympian Sushil Kumar, who is embroiled in the murder case of Sagar Dhankar, a former junior national wrestling champion. On August 6, Justice Purushaindra Kumar rejected Kumar's bail application, highlighting significant concerns regarding the potential for witness tampering, as previously noted by the Supreme Court when it revoked his earlier bail. The judge pointed to the serious nature of the charges, which involve a "premeditated and gruesome assault resulting in death," supported by evidence including a recovered firearm and video footage, alongside a substantial amount of material yet to be examined in court.

In his defense, Kumar's legal team argued that the testimony of Dhankar's father, which was pivotal in the initial cancellation of bail, has not been supportive of the prosecution's case during the trial. They contended that this shift in circumstances, combined with Kumar's lengthy detention of over five years and the fact that only formal witnesses remain to be examined, warranted his release on bail.

However, the Delhi Police and Dhankar's father opposed the bail request, asserting that the characterization of the father's testimony as unsupportive was contested. The court reiterated that the Supreme Court had previously determined Kumar's significant societal influence, which raised concerns about the possibility of witnesses becoming hostile whenever he was granted temporary freedom. The court stated, "Whether the deposition of Ashok Dhankad (the deceased's father) does or does not support the prosecution is, moreover, a matter of appreciation of evidence that must await the outcome by the trial court." It concluded that the arguments presented did not demonstrate a genuine change in circumstances that would justify granting bail.

Kumar was taken into custody in May 2021, and a sessions court had briefly granted him interim bail for knee surgery on July 19, 2023. However, on August 13, 2025, the Supreme Court annulled this bail, emphasizing that Kumar's "domineering influence" over witnesses could impede the trial process. The high court had previously granted him bail on March 4, 2025, but a trial court denied his request on February 6, citing the risk of witness influence as a critical concern. In October 2022, charges were formally filed against Kumar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and criminal conspiracy, as well as under the Arms Act, following the brutal assault on Dhankar, who was reportedly attacked with baseball and hockey sticks after being abducted to a stadium.