Drugs: Vijender grilled, refuses blood test
New Delhi, Mar 12 : India's star boxer Vijender Singh was interrogated on Monday evening for over three hours by the Punjab Police for his alleged links with an NRI drug dealer, but the boxer has reportedly refused to provide his blood or hair samples for forensic examination to ascertain if he had taken drugs.
Vijender Singh reportedly said he can only provide the samples to NADA (National Anti-Doping Agency).
A team of Punjab Police officials reportedly interrogated the boxer in Panchkula, about 20 kilometres from state capital Chandigarh.
Vijender had earlier admitted that he had met the accused Anup Singh Kahlon once through fellow boxer Ram Singh but doesn't know him personally. Kahlon, who is an NRI, reportedly has claimed close links with Vijender and Ram.
"I don't know him personally. I think my name is being misused in this case. How can you trust a drug dealer. I think every thing will be cleared soon," he had said.
Police had raided the flat of the peddler in Zirakpur and recovered 26 kg of heroin worth Rs 130 crore. Vijender's name cropped up also because his wife's car was found parked outside the building that housed the flat. A case was also lodged against his wife.
The Beijing Games bronze medallist earlier said his friends did use the car to drop him at the airport but was clueless as how it reached Zirakpur.
"I am shocked. I don't know how the car reached the spot in Zirakpur. My friends did use the car to drop me at the airport but what I don't know what happened after," the former World No.1, who is a deputy superintendent of police in Haryana, had said.
Meanwhile, National level boxer Ram Singh has been expelled by the National Institute of Sports in Patiala after he admitted to taking drugs.
But even as Ram Singh, a close friend of Vijender, was expelled Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda had said he hoped that Vijender was perhaps not involved in the case.
Hooda, however, added that "law will take its own course."
Vijender was also supported by his coach GS Sandhu.
India's national boxing coach Sandhu had said Vijender never took any medicine without checking it first.
Sandhu had said since Vijender knew that a dope test will ruin his career he was always very cautious and tested negative in every test.
Vijender Singh's name surfaced after the drug dealer was nabbed by the Punjab Police during the raid at Zirakpur in Mohali.
According to media reports, Ram Singh reportedly told police that Vijender had taken drugs six times and they were in touch with the arrested peddler Anup Singh Kahlon since December last.