Beijing Olympics bronze medalist Vijender Singh, who is in the eye of a storm in connection with a multi-crore drug haul, had allegedly consumed heroin about a dozen times after procuring it from suspected drug dealer NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon who is under arrest, Punjab Police said on Sunday.
“As per investigation conducted so far, Vijender Singh consumed the drug about 12 times and Ram Singh about five times. During the investigation, it has been established that boxers Ram Singh and Vijender Singh took heroin from Anoop Singh Kahlon and Rocky for personal consumption between December 2012 and February 2013,” a Punjab Police spokesperson said in a press statement.
But, police said both boxers “did not actively connive” with Kahlon and Rocky and nothing was recovered from them. “As such both of them are not being arrested in the case at this stage,” police said.
In an exclusive report on March 9, HT was first to report that it was in middle of December 2012 when Vijender and his roommate Ram Singh, a national champion boxer, began experimenting with heroin. The seizure of 26kg heroin by Punjab Police from Kahlon and his accomplice Rocky — arrested from Zirakpur near Chandigarh on March 3 — has put Vijender and Ram under the police scanner.
Later, on March 10, in an exclusive interview to HT, Ram had also said that he and Vijender took heroin three-four times from their “friend” Kahlon and consumed it "for fun", but had denied knowledge of Kahlon’s business.
{{/usCountry}}Later, on March 10, in an exclusive interview to HT, Ram had also said that he and Vijender took heroin three-four times from their “friend” Kahlon and consumed it "for fun", but had denied knowledge of Kahlon’s business.
{{/usCountry}}HT again first reported on March 11 that in February alone, Vijender and Kahlon had spoken on the phone at least a dozen times, while Ram and Kahlon had exchanged over 50 calls during the same time.
In fact, Vijender found himself under probe after Kahlon named him and Ram as “clients”.