Chandigarh: Boxer Ram Singh has been expelled from National Institute of Sports, Patiala on in the wake of allegations against him and Olympic medallist Vijender Singh in the Rs 130 crore drug haul case. NIS director has said that Ram brought in Vijender's recommendation.
Ram Singh earlier in the day admitted that Vijender and he took drugs but by mistake. Meanwhile, Punjab Police has said they were in touch with the peddler Anup Singh Kahlon and were experimenting with drugs for the last three months. "Vijender took drugs two or three times thinking that they were food supplements. When we found out they were drugs we were shocked and stopped taking them," said Ram.
According to the state DGP Sumedh Singh Saini, the boxers began experimenting with drugs last December. The drugs racket had been operating since 2009. It is also believed that three people from China and Holland had visited the state in 2010 to get synthetic drugs. Police has launched raids in Fatehgarh Sahib - the place where the drugs were packaged. The police is also trying to trace Jagdish Bhola, the racket's kingpin.
Meanwhile, citing World Anti-Doping Agency rules, the boxing federation said that no action can be taken against Vijender. The agency said, "We are bound by the WADA rules. Unless it is proved medically or in a WADA test that any boxer took drugs we cannot initiate any action against Vijender Singh."
Earlier, sources said that both the boxers may get a clean chit in the Rs 130 crore drug haul case as investigations suggest they had no role in smuggling. The police is reportedly doubtful whether traces of heroin will now be found in their blood stream.
While Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has said that "drugs come to Punjab from Afghanistan and Pakistan", boxing coach GS Sandhu said, "Don't think that a boxer who has reached this level will involve himself in such things."
Ram also said that Vijender met with the arrested drug peddler Anup Singh Kahlon. Vijender, India's Olympic hero, is likely to be questioned by the Punjab Police in connection with the mutli-crore drug haul.
Meanwhile, Kahlon on Friday reportedly attempted to commit suicide in prison and had to be hospitalised. "The key accused Anup Singh Kahlon attempted suicide. He took out a wire from the bucket used for bathing and tried to slit his wrist with it, but he is out of danger," Fatehgarh Sahib's Senior Superintendent of Police, HS Mann said. The accused was safe and provided medical aid, the SSP said, adding that no major injury was sustained in the suicide attempt. Kahlon, an NRI, would now be booked for attempt to suicide.
Asked about reports that Ram, a native of Patiala, purportedly confessed that he had taken heroin at least six times from the arrested peddlers and consumed it with Vijender, the SSP said, "We are verifying these. I cannot comment further at this stage."
Vijender, 27, a Haryana Police DSP rank officer, has trashed allegations that he has links with the alleged NRI drug dealer arrested by the Punjab Police, saying the "ridiculous charges" would be proved wrong in investigations.
Police had recovered nearly 30 kg of heroin, estimated over Rs 130 crore, from Kahlon's house in Shivalik Vihar in Zirakpur on the city outskirts in Mohali district on Thursday. The car of Vijender's wife Archana was found by police near the NRI's house. Haryana DGP SN Vashisht told reporters that they were in touch with their Punjab counterparts after the boxer's name cropped up in the case.
So far, Punjab Police has nabbed six persons in connection with the drug haul and had got their remand till March 13. The six arrested persons are Canada-based Kahlon, his driver Kulwinder Singh Rockey, the driver's father Kuldeep Singh, the driver's brother-in-law Sandeep Singh, Manpreet Singh Gill alias Mani and Gabbar Singh. Police had on Friday said that during interrogation Kahlon had alleged that Vijender and Ram Singh, a Punjab police inspector, were his "clients" and used to visit him.
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