Father of Maharashtra Kesari Champion Wrestler Claims Son Was Framed by Punjab Police

A day after Maharashtra Kesari champion wrestler Sikandar Sheikh was arrested by Punjab Police in connection with an Arms Act case, his father has claimed that his son has been falsely implicated.

Sikandar, who trains at Gangavesh Talim in Kolhapur, had earlier secured a job in the Indian Army under the sports quota but later resigned to focus on wrestling. He rose to prominence during the 2023 Maharashtra Kesari tournament in Pune for protesting a referee’s decision and went on to win the title in 2024.

In 2024, Sikandar became the fourth wrestler from Maharashtra to win the Rustam-E-Hind title in Jandla village, Punjab. The 24-year-old had expressed his ambition to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games.

Rashid Sheikh, father of Sikander and a resident of Mohol in Solapur district, said he had worked as a porter for years to support Sikandar’s wrestling career and that his son could “never be involved in anything illegal.”

“My son has worked hard to reach this level in wrestling. We come from a humble background. He would never do anything unlawful,” said Rashid.

He said the family has not yet received any official communication from the Punjab Police regarding the arrest. Sikandar, he added, had been living in Punjab for several months to train under wrestling experts and coach his students.

According to Rashid, Sikandar is the family’s sole breadwinner and supports both his father and elder brother. “He was preparing for the Hind Kesari tournament and wanted to continue wrestling for the next few years. Those who wanted to stop his progress have framed him in this false case,” he said.

Police in Mohali have arrested four men, including Sheikh and a Rajasthan-based gangster, and recovered five illegal pistols, live cartridges, and ₹1.99 lakh in cash. The seized weapons include four .32-bore pistols and one .45-bore pistol, along with two SUVs.

According to police, the arrests were made following a tip-off on October 24 near the Kharar–Mullanpur Road. Officers intercepted a car and apprehended Danveer and Banti of Mathura, along with Sikandar. The fourth accused, Krishan alias Happy Gujjar of Nayagaon, was arrested two days later.

Police said Danveer is a member of the Papla Gujjar gang and has multiple cases of murder, dacoity, and Arms Act violations registered in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Krishan too faces assault charges.

Rohit Pawar, NCP (SP) MLA, said, there are chances that Sheikh may have been falsely implicated by someone looking at his progress.

“The Maharashtra government should talk to the Punjab government and take care that no injustice is done to Sikandar. Efforts are underway in this context to talk to the Punjab government through MP Supriya Sule, and we believe that a positive outcome will emerge from this,” said Pawar.