‘s Padma Shri is under threat as the Indian government mulls action after the two-time Olympic medallist was arrested on Sunday.
Sushil Kumar and his associates allegedly assaulted wrestler Sagar Dhankar (23) and two of his friends, Sonu and Amit Kumar, at the Chhatrasal Stadium on the intervening night of May 4 and 5. Sagar succumbed to the injuries later.
The Padma Awards scheme states:
The President may cancel and annul the award of the decoration to any person and thereupon his name shall be erased from the Register and he shall be required to surrender the decoration and the Sanad. But it shall be competent for the President to restore the decoration and the Sanad and to withdraw the orders of cancellation and annulment.
Kumar was awarded the Padma Shri in 2011.
According to a report in TOI, a source said the Ministry of Home Affairs will wait for a court order before recommending to the President of India to cancel and annul the award.
“After a chargesheet is filed, the award may be cancelled by the President. And, in case he is acquitted later, the orders cancelling the award may be withdrawn,” former home secretary N Gopalaswami told TOI.
Railways Set to Suspend Sushil Kumar
The Northern Railway is set to suspend wrestler Sushil Kumar following his arrest by the Delhi Police in a murder case, a spokesperson said on Monday. A senior commercial manager with the Northern Railway, Kumar had been on deputation with the Delhi government since 2015 and was posted as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) at Chhatrasal Stadium for development of sports at school level.
His deputation was extended in 2020 and Kumar had applied for an extension for 2021 as well which had been rejected by the Delhi government and he was sent back to his parent cadre — Northern Railway — officials said. On the run for nearly three weeks, Kumar was arrested a day ago for his alleged involvement in the death of a 23-year-old wrestler at Chhatrasal Stadium, along with co-accused Ajay from outer Delhi’s Mundka area.
“The Railway Board has received a report on the case on Sunday from the Delhi government. He has FIRs registered against him and he will be suspended," Northern Railway CPRO Deepak Kumar told PTI. Officials said that an official order suspending the wrestler will be issued in a couple of days. Senior officials said that if a government servant is found involved in grievous crimes, he or she is usually suspended till the case is underway.
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