Fatehgarh Police have included the names of Olympian bronze medalist boxer Vijender Singh and boxer Ram Singh, as consumers of drugs in the drug haul case.
MF Farooqui, DIG ludhiana range told The Pioneer that they have included the names of both boxers Vijender Singh and Ram Singh (recently dismissed head constable from Punjab Armed Police, Jalandhar and roommate of ace boxer Vijender Singh), as consumers of drugs in the drug haul case.
"like drug peddling, consumption of drugs is also a crime. These boxers cannot save themselves by merely pleading that they were only consumers, not drug peddlers," said Farooqui.
Ram Singh had already confessed that he had been in contact with Anoop Singh Kahlon, main accused in the drug haul case and consumed drugs along with ace boxer Vijender Singh. However, Vijender Singh had refuted the allegations during questioning on March 11for nearly four hours. He had also refused to give samples of blood and hair to Punjab police, after the recovery of 26 kg of heroin worth Rs 130 crore from the residence of alleged drug peddler and NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon.
As Vijender Singh is not ready to give blood and hair samples to Punjab Police, the Fatehgarh Police have now sought legal opinion from the office of district attorney, Fatehgarh Sahib to get the required samples.
GS Cheema, counsel of Anoop Singh Kahlon, main accused in the case, while confirming the move told The Pioneer that "Fatehgarh Sahib Police wants to get the samples from boxer Vijender in the presence of Chief Judicial Magistrate of Fatehgarh Sahib and Punjab police at Fatehgarh Sahib."
"In their letter, Fatehgarh Sahib Police specifically stressed that they want the required samples of boxer Vijender in the presence of CJM Fatehgarh Sahib and Punjab police. But not in the presence of Haryana police, because earlier in the presence of Haryana police, Vijender had refused to give the samples. However, he is also an employee of Haryana police and posted at Gurgaon as DSP."
SSP Fatehgarh Sahib, HS Mann also made it clear that Ram Singh had been dismissed on account of his confession about consumption of drugs. About Vijender Singh, he said, the required samples were required. "Now, Fatehgarh police wants to explore every possibility to prosecute the ace boxer in the case. Meanwhile, all the 15 accused arrested in this case have been sent to judicial custody by the court," added Cheema.