India News | Chhatrasal Stadium Case: HC Asks Witnesses to Approach Trial Court for Virtually Recording Evidence

New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) The Delhi High Court has asked four prosecution witnesses in the Chhatrasal Stadium murder case involving wrestler Sushil Kumar to approach the trial court in Rohini for permission to record their evidence through virtual mode.

Justice Jasmeet Singh disposed of the petition by the witnesses to transfer the case from Rohini district court to any other court in the city for a fair and impartial trial and took on record the prosecution's stand that Delhi Police is obliged to provide 24x7 protection to the victims under its jurisdiction and that Haryana Police has agreed to protect those falling under its jurisdiction.

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The judge stated that the concerned trial court shall consider and decide the petitioner's plea for recording evidence virtually at the earliest.

“Keeping in view of the aforesaid, the petition is disposed of with the directions that the petitioners shall approach the Court of ASJ-04, Rohini Court, Delhi seeking a recording of their evidence through virtual mode. For the reasons stated and noted hereinabove, the application when filed shall be considered and decided by the ASJ at the earliest,” said the court in its order passed on April 25.

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Olympian Sushil Kumar, along with others is accused of allegedly assaulting a former junior national wrestling champion Sagar Dhankar and his friends at the stadium in May 2021 over an alleged property dispute.

Dhankar later succumbed to the injuries. According to the post-mortem report, he died due to cerebral damage resulting from blunt object impact.

The petitioners, who claim to be the victims of the assault, had said in their petition that the involvement of gangsters from Rohini and nearby areas in the case made them feel “more vulnerable” and that most of the other wrestlers in the stadium were either sympathizers, disciples, colleagues or in illegal support of the accused Sushil Kumar.

The petition filed through lawyer Ajay Kumar Pipaniya submitted that the co-accused in the case are “notorious criminals” who belong to the areas in the proximity of the Rohini District Court and it would not be safe and secure for them to come and depose there during the pendency of the trial which would take a long time to conclude.

They had also told the court that as per the minutes of the meeting of the committee concerning witness protection, their threat analysis report indicated that the threat perception was real and sought a direction for conducting the trial through video conferencing mode and record testimony of prosecution witnesses on a day-to-day basis.

“That these dreaded gangsters have already gone to the extent and threaten the families of the petitioners that if the petitioners would not give their testimonies in the favour of Sushil Kumar, then they would eliminate their families. It is pertinent to mention here that these hardened criminals and gangsters are having a stronghold within the jurisdiction of Rohini Courts,” the petition has said.

The petitioners had also highlighted that in September last year, a “renowned gangster was shot dead by two assailants making Rohini court complex a vulnerable court complex”. PTI ADS

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)