Beijing Olympics boxing bronze medalist, Vijender Singh received a reprieve of sorts on Wednesday, when the judge of the special court in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab rejected the petition by the State police seeking directions to procure his hair, fingernails and blood samples to ascertain his heroin consumption.
The ace pugilist, whose name had figured in case related to major seizure of drugs and other narcotics from a gang run by an NRI, had been scanned by National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for heroin consumption. The Punjab police, which has been investigating the case had refused to accept the NADA results, where Vijender tested negative.
Citing section 27 of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the police through an application on April 3 justified the need for Vijender’s hair and nail as samples. The police had attempted to establish the links his links with the arrested NRI, Anoop Singh Kahlon, who had claimed that Vijender Singh and his sparring partner Ram Singh were among his clients. A car owned by Vijender's wife, is said to have been recovered from near Kahlon residence in Zirakpur town of Mohali district, where searches led to more recoveries of the contraband.
Taking up the case for hearing, Special judge, Kuldip Singh rejected the police's plea as Vijender's blood and urine samples had already been examined by NADA. The Judge ruled that no order could be passed merely at a request by the investigation agency, which wanted fresh samples be examined by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory at Chandigarh.
Vijender Singh's counsel argued that till date the police had not effected any recoveries from his client. He said that except for a statement by some of the accused the police had no evidence against the ace boxer. He proceeded to charge that the actions by the Fatehgarh Sahib district police had defamed Vijender Singh as well as cast a shadow on his boxing career.
