Patiala: Embroiled in a drug scandal that has shaken the core of Indian boxing, super heavyweight pugilist Ram Singh will be expelled from the National Institute of Sports on Monday after admitting to consuming the contraband.
Ram, a former National Championships medallist, has admitted to experimenting with drugs along with Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh, who has denied the allegations.
Their names cropped up after the unearthing of heroin worth Rs 130 crore from Fatehgarh Sahib at an NRIs flat. An SUV registered in the name of Vijender's wife was found outside the flat during the police raid.
"Ram will be temporarily expelled from the NIS as he has confessed to taking drugs. We have already received the orders from the top administration, he will be formally suspended tomorrow," national boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu said.
"But we should wait for the investigation to get over before jumping to conclusions," he said.
Sandhu continued to stand by Vijender, who has not spoken after the fresh claims made by Ram.
"I know him for the past 10 years and he has undergone numerous dope tests. He has always been clean. He is one of the most disciplined boys I have worked with," said Sandhu.
"We should wait for the investigation to be completed. It is unfair to malign him like this," he added.
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.
Earlier, Ram claimed that the Vijender consumed drugs with him on a few occasions but insisted that the duo mistook the contraband for food supplements. Ram was Vijender's roommate at the NIS.
According to Ram, it was given to them by NRI Anup Singh Kahlon, the key accused in the case, who attempted suicide in police custody on Saturday.
"Me and Vijender experimented with drugs thinking that they were food supplements. We did not know that we were taking drugs. We were told that we were consuming food supplements meant to increase strength and stamina," Ram told reporters after being questioned by the police in Fatehgarh Sahib.
Kahlon, who slit his wrists with a wire, is "out of danger", even as police probed his alleged links with Vijender and carried out raids to nab an ex-DSP, said to be the kingpin of the gang.
Police have not yet decided on whether to call Vijender for questioning.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.