Maharashtra wrestler held in Punjab; family, NCPs rally behind him

The arrest in Punjab of a popular wrestler from Maharashtra has triggered calls from his family and both the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and NCP (SP) for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to step in amid allegations of sporting rivalry playing a role in the incident. A talented mud-wrestler in the “dangal” circuit, Sikander Shaikh (26) was arrested in Mohali last week, along with two alleged gangsters from UP with police claiming that they recovered five pistols, live cartridges, cash and two vehicles in the operation. Another alleged gangster from Punjab was held in the same case later, they said. According to Mohali police, Shaikh was arrested along with the two from UP at Airport Chowk when he was allegedly purchasing the weapons for a local network. Shaikh, who hails from Mohol in Solapur, won the Rustam-e-Hind Kesari title in 2024, five years after winning gold in the under-23 National Wrestling Championship in Shirdi. His father and grandfather were wrestlers, too. Speaking to The Indian Express, NCP's Solapur district chief Umesh Patil, who also hails from Mohol, said he suspected that Shaikh might have been “framed by local wrestlers due to sports rivalry”. “Every year, he earns `4-5 crore prize money in the wrestling circuit. If he takes part in one competition, he earns `1 lakh-1.5 lakh per day. During the season, he takes part in two-three events earning `3 lakh-4 lakh per day. Why would he want to earn in this manner (from the alleged gun purchase) when he has earned so much already. He has received 14 vehicles as gifts besides other prize money,” he said. Last year, the Punit Balan Group, which is into real estate and films, had announced financial support of `15 lakh annually for three years for Shaikh. According to Patil, Shaikh, who was staying temporarily in Mohali to take part in various events and competitions, was arrested after he was asked by his “room mates to deliver a parcel to a person” and that the wrestler did not know that it “contained weapons”. “We hope Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will intervene and take up this case with the Punjab Government. Shaikh has won the Maharashtra Kesari and Rustam-E-Hind titles. He is tomorrow's Hind Kesari,” he said. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, too, said he suspected that Shaikh had been “framed” in the case. “He has carved a name for himself in the wrestling world. I don't believe he would turn to crime and dump wrestling at a time when he is at the height of his career. Maybe, some people tried to implicate him in the case because of the rapid strides that he has made in wrestling,” he said. The wrestler's father Rashid Shaikh said the family is in “absolute shock”. “The whole of Maharashtra loves him. We are heavily dependent on him. He has a son who is also dependent on him. He has claimed many state and national titles.I urge Punjab Police not to commit injustice on my son,” he said. Rashid Shaikh said he had been encouraging his son to win the prestigious Hind Kesari title, considered the peak of dangal wrestling. “Our entire family had been encouraging him to go all out to win the Hind Kesari title. He has defeated all the top wrestlers from Punjab, Haryana and even Maharashtra. The Hind Kesari competition is coming near. He has been misled and framed in the case,” he said. The arrest in Punjab of a popular wrestler from Maharashtra has triggered calls from his family and both the Ajit Pawar-led NCP and NCP (SP) for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to step in amid allegations of sporting rivalry playing a role in the incident. A talented mud-wrestler in the “dangal” circuit, Sikander Shaikh (26) was arrested in Mohali last week, along with two alleged gangsters from UP with police claiming that they recovered five pistols, live cartridges, cash and two vehicles in the operation. Another alleged gangster from Punjab was held in the same case later, they said. According to Mohali police, Shaikh was arrested along with the two from UP at Airport Chowk when he was allegedly purchasing the weapons for a local network. Shaikh, who hails from Mohol in Solapur, won the Rustam-e-Hind Kesari title in 2024, five years after winning gold in the under-23 National Wrestling Championship in Shirdi. His father and grandfather were wrestlers, too. Speaking to The Indian Express, NCP’s Solapur district chief Umesh Patil, who also hails from Mohol, said he suspected that Shaikh might have been “framed by local wrestlers due to sports rivalry”. “Every year, he earns `4-5 crore prize money in the wrestling circuit… If he takes part in one competition, he earns `1 lakh-1.5 lakh per day. During the season, he takes part in two-three events earning `3 lakh-4 lakh per day… Why would he want to earn in this manner (from the alleged gun purchase) when he has earned so much already… He has received 14 vehicles as gifts besides other prize money,” he said. Last year, the Punit Balan Group, which is into real estate and films, had announced financial support of `15 lakh annually for three years for Shaikh. According to Patil, Shaikh, who was staying temporarily in Mohali to take part in various events and competitions, was arrested after he was asked by his “room mates to deliver a parcel to a person” and that the wrestler did not know that it “contained weapons”. “We hope Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will intervene and take up this case with the Punjab Government. Shaikh has won the Maharashtra Kesari and Rustam-E-Hind titles. He is tomorrow’s Hind Kesari,” he said. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, too, said he suspected that Shaikh had been “framed” in the case. “He has carved a name for himself in the wrestling world. I don’t believe he would turn to crime and dump wrestling at a time when he is at the height of his career. Maybe, some people tried to implicate him in the case because of the rapid strides that he has made in wrestling,” he said. The wrestler’s father Rashid Shaikh said the family is in “absolute shock”. “The whole of Maharashtra loves him. We are heavily dependent on him. He has a son who is also dependent on him. He has claimed many state and national titles…I urge Punjab Police not to commit injustice on my son,” he said. Rashid Shaikh said he had been encouraging his son to win the prestigious Hind Kesari title, considered the peak of dangal wrestling. “Our entire family had been encouraging him to go all out to win the Hind Kesari title. He has defeated all the top wrestlers from Punjab, Haryana and even Maharashtra. The Hind Kesari competition is coming near… He has been misled and framed in the case,” he said.