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One more held for murder of wrestler Sagar Dhankad
Police have arrested one more suspect on Saturday in connection with the murder of wrestler Sagar Dhankad, who was allegedly beaten to death by two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and at least 12 other men at Chhatrasal Stadium in May
Police have arrested one more suspect on Saturday in connection with the murder of wrestler Sagar Dhankad, who was allegedly beaten to death by two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar and at least 12 other men at Chhatrasal Stadium in May.
Police, on Sunday, said with this, the total number of people arrested in Dhankar’s murder case has reached 12, while non-bailable warrants have been issued against six more suspects, who are still evading arrest.
The suspect arrested on Saturday has been identified as 22-year-old Gourav Lora--a wrestler by profession and also a close aide of Kumar. Lora was with Kumar and was involved in the alleged attack on Dhankad and his two friends, including Sonu Mahal, who is said to be a relative of wanted gangster Sandeep alias Kala Jatheri, said police.
“We arrested Lora from Delhi around 9.30pm on Saturday. He was produced before a court, that remanded him to our custody for two days. Interrogation of Lora is important to recover the stick he used to assault Dhankad and the clothes he was wearing at the time of the attack,” said deputy commissioner of police (crime) Monika Bhardwaj.
Police said after the alleged attack on Dhankar, Lora had been hiding at various places in Delhi and Haryana. The investigating team had been conducting searches to nab him. On June 26, the team received inputs that Lora was in Delhi and arrested him.The police, however, did not divulge the area from where he was nabbed, neither the reason behind his presence in Delhi.
Police said Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted Dhankar and two of his friends at the stadium on the intervening night of May 4 and 5 with hockey sticks, baseball bats and other blunt weapons, over an alleged property dispute. Dhankar eventually succumbed to the injuries. The police claim Kumar is the “main culprit and mastermind” of the murder and said there is electronic evidence where Kumar and his associates can be seen beating Dhankar.
A Delhi court on Friday extended the judicial custody of Kumar, who was arrested on May 23, along with co-accused Ajay Kumar Sehrawat, till July 9. So far, Kumar has been in police custody for 10 days and under judicial custody for 23 days. Kumar was recently shifted to Tihar prison from Mandoli jail, following apprehensions that he may be attacked by accomplices of Kala Jatheri, who are lodged in the same jail, said police.
