Boxer Ram Singh expelled from national camp, cops silent on questioning Vijender

Indian boxing's image continued to take a massive beating with the Sports Authority of India expelling Olympic medallist Vijender Singh's roommate Ram Singh on Sunday from the national camp here after he confessed to consuming drugs.

Executive director of NIS LS Ranawat confirmed Ram Singh's expulsion here after his questioning by the Punjab Police in connection with a case of drug haul in Fatehgarh Sahab district.

"Ram will be relieved from the camp here from tomorrow," said Ranawat adding that Vijender would continue to remain in the camp.

The official communication regarding Ram's expulsion from the camp has not yet been received but information for his expulsion has been received telephonically, he added.

Asked about Ram Singh's presence in the national camp he said initially he was not in the list and was inducted only after the recommendation of Vijender.

Ram is being summoned daily for questioning by the Fatehgarh Sahab Police following the arrest of two persons with 26 kg of heroin from a flat in Zirakpur area of Mohali district.

An SUV registered in the name of Vijender's wife, Archana, was recovered by the police from near the flat where an NRI Anup Singh Kahlon and his driver were arrested. Four persons were arrested later taking the number of those arrested to six.

Ram, during interrogation on Saturday, had claimed that the duo "consumed small quantities of drug" on a few occasions, which was given to them by Kahlon, who attempted suicide under police custody.

Cops silent on questioning Vijender

Meanwhile, in Chandigarh Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Hardyal Singh Mann refused to comment on possible questioning of Vijender Singh.

"At the moment the priority is to zero in on these persons actively involved in the drug trade," the SSP said when asked if Vijender was likely to be summoned in the near future.

He said Ram Singh had been summoned for questioning "on a day to day basis".

The boxer has not been arrested, Mann said, adding that Ram Singh was only being called for questioning.

A factory belonging to relatives of an Arjuna award winner was searched on Sunday by Punjab police in a village in Fatehgarh Sahib in the wake of recovery of 26 kg haul of heroin with a street value of Rs 130 crore.

A senior police officer said two persons have been rounded up during the searches and were being interrogated.

The officer said police had conducted raids to arrest Arjuna awardee wrestler Jagdish Bhola, a dismissed DSP of Punjab Police, who is allegedly the kingpin of a gang recently busted by Fatehgarh Sahib police with the arrest of NRI Anup Singh Kahlon.

NADA unlikely to test Vijender

Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh is unlikely to be tested by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) despite claims by his sparring partner Ram Singh that the star boxer consumed small amounts of heroin.

Sources in the NADA said that Vijender's case was a matter to be investigated by the police and the anti-doping agency has no role in this.

"It's basically a police and narcotics case and the NADA is not in the scene," a top NADA source said.

The source said under the World Anti-Doping Agency Code, the NADA cannot conduct out-of-competition testing to detect consumption of heroin.

"Under the WADA Code, there are two kinds of compounds each one meant for in-competition and out-of-competition respectively. Heroin comes under in-competition testing. So, we cannot do out-of-competition testing on Vijender to see if he has consumed heroin," the source said.

Earlier in the day, Vijender's roommate at the National Institute of Sports in Patiala admitted to experimenting with drugs along with the former world number one boxer, who, however, has denied the allegations.

Vijender, a former world number one, gave India its first Olympic medal in boxing when he clinched a bronze in the 2008 Games. Besides, he is an Asian Games gold-medallist and a multiple-time Commonwealth Games medallist.

Considered the poster boy of Indian boxing, Vijender has stated that he is not involved in the scandal and does not know the alleged drug peddler caught by the police.