Xtra Time Web Desk: Two time Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar could lose his Padma Shri award on grounds of him being arrested on charges of alleged murder of a former junior national champion wrestler. Sushil Kumar was conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2011. But the President of India has the authority to revoke the award.
As per former home secretary N Gopalaswami, the Ministry of Home Affairs could review the Padma Shri award on a suo motu basis and recommend to the President of India, Ramnath Kovind, to annul the award at the charge sheet state.
As per the Padma Award Scheme, “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.”
Meanwhile, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) has distanced itself from the tainted wrestler. On Monday, it clarified its stance on the case, saying that guilty will be punished as the governing body is not responsible for matters outside the mat.
In a tweet, WFI said on Tuesday that it would let the law take its course, adding that “the guilty will be punished”.
Sushil Kumar has been sent to 6-day police custody as the Delhi Police’s crime branch takes over the case.