Indian Olympic medallist Kumar arrested over death of fellow wrestler

NEW DELHI: Two-time Olympic wrestling medallist Sushil Kumar was arrested on Sunday in connection with the murder of a fellow Indian wrestler after a week-long manhunt, Delhi police said.

Kumar went into hiding after 24-year-old Sagar Dhankad was badly beaten during a brawl between two groups of wrestlers outside Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium on May 4.

Dhankad, a former junior champion who was training as a senior wrestler, later died in hospital.

Kumar was arrested early Sunday in northwest Delhi with another suspect.

“They were switching their location when they were arrested,” a police officer said.

Both Kumar and a second man detained over the same offence later appeared in court, a Delhi Police spokesman added, without giving details of potential charges.

Police had offered a reward of 100,000 rupees ($1,370) for information leading to the arrest of the 37-year-old star after two of Dhankad’s associates injured in the fight named Kumar as one of the attackers.

Kumar denied any wrongdoing in a plea for anticipatory bail he sent to a Delhi court last week, which was dismissed.

Delhi Police issued a look-out notice for Kumar after the brawl. Three people were admitted to hospital after the incident and Dhankad eventually succumbed to his injuries.

Kumar is viewed as one of India’s finest sportsmen and the only 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 gold at the World Wrestling Champ­ionships in Moscow in 2010.

He was awarded India’s highest honour for athletes in 2009.