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Murder accused Olympian Sushil Kumar asks for TV in jail
India’s only two-time individual Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail, has written to the prison superintendent requesting for a television set inside his cell to stay updated and kill time, according to officials privy to the request
India’s only two-time individual Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, currently lodged in Delhi’s Tihar jail, has written to the prison superintendent requesting for a television set inside his cell to stay updated and kill time, according to officials privy to the request.
Kumar,38, is lodged alone in a cell inside jail number two because of a perceived threat to his life. Last month, Delhi police and central intelligence agencies informed prison authorities about the threat to Kumar’s life from a city gangster. Prisoners, who have a threat to their life or are a threat to others, are lodged alone in a cell, while others share space. Prisoners are also lodged in barracks.
This is Kumar’s second request to jail officers since June 3, the day he was brought to the prison complex on judicial custody. Kumar has been arrested for the murder of fellow wrestler Sagar Dhankad inside Chhatrasal stadium.
Last month, he wrote to the prison administration to provide him special food, exercise bands and diet supplements as he was a professional wrestler and was preparing for future events. Later, he moved a city court with the same request. This request was denied by jail officers and also the city court, which noted that the special food and supplements were “just wishes” and not essential items inside the prison.
Commenting on Kumar’s latest request, a prison officer who asked not to be named said, “About 4-5 few days ago, he wrote a letter to the jail superintendent asking for a TV set. He said he wanted to keep himself updated about what was happening in the wrestling world. He said in his letter that he also wanted to watch news and monitor the developments in his case. He said that since he is lodged alone in the cell, a television set would also help him pass time inside.”
The prison’s director general, Sandeep Goel, confirmed Kumar had made the request. “We are looking into it,” he said.
To be sure, a television set is not a prohibited item inside prison. There are television sets inside cells for individual prisoners and inside barracks, where one television set is shared by many prisoners.
Kumar’s counsel, advocate Pradeep Rana, said, “What is wrong with requesting a television? It is a legitimate request. Even petty criminals and big gangsters have a TV inside their cell. The courts have in the past allowed prisoners access to television. It is not a security threat and cannot be misused in any way. My client wants to know what is happening in the world and wants to keep himself updated. The jail authorities say they are considering the request but the truth is they are not.”
Prisoners have in the past made demands that have surprised jail officers. In May 2019, Christian Michel, the alleged middleman in the scrapped AgustaWestland helicopter deal, had complained about the quality of food he was getting in Tihar jail, blamed it for his weight loss and demanded “western food”. Michel reasoned that “western food” had less onion and spices. Delhi gangster Neeraj Bawana has in the past demanded home cooked food, an iPod and a radio.
A second prison officer, who asked not to be named, said, “Sometimes prisoners come up with weird demands. A top Delhi industrialist who was arrested for fraud wrote to us last year requesting that a particular brand of spring water be allotted to him. He was not comfortable with the bottled mineral water available in the jail’s canteen, which prisoners can buy. There was a builder, jailed for fraud, who wanted perfumes for himself. He was very particular about the perfume. It was denied. He had to make do with perfume from the jail’s in-house perfume unit.”
