NEW DELHI – Two-time Olympic wrestling medallist Sushil Kumar was arrested today, said Indian police, after a week-long manhunt over the alleged murder of a fellow athlete.
Kumar went into hiding after 24-year-old Sagar Dhankad was badly beaten during a brawl between two groups of wrestlers at a stadium in the capital here on May 4.
Dhankad, a former junior champion who was training as a senior wrestler, later died in hospital.
Police said the 37-year-old star was arrested early today with another suspect in northwest Delhi.
“They were switching their location when they were arrested.”
Police had offered a reward of ₹100,000 rupees (RM5,679) for information leading to the arrest of Kumar after two of Dhankad’s associates injured in the fight named the former as one of the attackers.
But Kumar, via his lawyers, said he is innocent and accused police of a biased investigation.
Kumar is viewed as one of India’s finest sportsmen and the only one to win two individual Olympic medals – a freestyle wrestling silver at the 2012 London Games and a bronze at the Beijing Olympics four years earlier.
He represented India in international competitions and won three Commonwealth Games golds, and one World Wrestling Championships gold in Moscow in 2010.
He was awarded India’s highest honour for athletes in 2009. – AFP, May 23, 2021
