Delhi High Court agrees to hear plea to restrain “media trial” of wrestler Sushil Kumar

By LE Desk

New Delhi, May 27: A plea to restrain the media from “sensationalising” the trial of wrestler and Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar in connection with the death of a 23-year old man, and seeking rules for reporting criminal cases, was mentioned today before the Delhi High Court which agreed to hear it on Friday.

The petition was mentioned before a bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh which allowed it to be listed for hearing on May 28.

The plea has been moved by a law student alleging that Kumar’s career and reputation has been damaged by the media’s reporting of the case against him in connection with the Chhatrasal Stadium brawl that led to the death of the 23-year-old wrestler, news agency PTI reported.

On May 23, a Delhi court sent Kumar to 6-day police custody for interrogation in connection with the killing of a fellow wrestler, saying the allegations against him are serious in nature and that no one is above the law.

Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted wrestler Sagar Dhankar (23) and two of his friends, Sonu and Amit Kumar, at the Chhatrasal stadium in Delhi on the intervening night of May 4 and 5. Sagar succumbed to the injuries later.

Kumar was arrested along with co-accused Ajay from outer Delhi’s Mundka on May 23. The two-time Olympic medallist was on the run for nearly three weeks.

Allowing the police to interrogate Kumar for six days, the magistrate had said, “No one is above law and law treats everyone equally. Our Constitution guarantees the right to life and liberty to all persons subject to exceptions. The allegations against the accused persons are grave in nature.”

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/delhi-high-court-agrees-to-hear-plea-to-restrain-media-trial-of-wrestler-sushil-kumar-2450259