Sushil Kumar’s gun licence to be cancelled permanently

The Delhi Police on Tuesday said they have suspended the firearms licence given to two-time Olympic medallist and world champion wrestler Sushil Kumar, who has been arrested in connection with the murder of 23-year-old wrestler Sagar Dhankad. Police said they have also initiated the process to cancel the licence permanently.

The firearm, for which licence was issued to Kumar in 2012, has already been seized by the crime branch team investigating Dhankad’s murder case. Police officers aware of the investigation said they have already arrested nine people, including Kumar, in the case.

“We have suspended the arms licence of the arrested wrestler, Sushil Kumar, as he was booked in a criminal case. The process for cancellation of his licence has been initiated. He has been served a notice, seeking his explanation on why the cancellation of licence should not be done,” said joint commissioner of police (licencing) OP Mishra.

Advocate Pradeep Rana, who is representing Kumar, said: “The suspension of Sushil’s arm’s license is not in accordance with the law and there is no cause of action for Delhi Police to act in such hasty and unconstitutional manner and the same is in stark violation of natural justice and right to be heard. The involvement of the said weapon in the alleged incident is a matter of trial but prima facie there were no alleged gun shot injuries. Therefore, it is apparent that the investigating agency is acting in a malafide manner and trying to malign the image of a two- time Olympic medallist.”

Kumar is presently in the custody of the crime branch and will be produced before a Delhi court on Wednesday, when his four-day police custody ends. The team is likely to seek further extension of Kumar’s custody to recover his mobile phone and clothes that he was wearing at the time of the crime.