Vijender took drugs 12 times, say Punjab police

April 1, 2013

Vijender_drugsChandigarh, Apr 1: The Punjab police on Sunday, for the first time, confirmed that Olympic medallist boxer Vijender Singh consumed drugs at least 12 times along with his sparring partner Ram Singh, who had it five times.

Vijender has so far been denying this allegation but the police said they have evidence to justify their charge that the boxer took drugs for the personal consumption from main accused in a drug haul case, Anno Singh Kahlon. The police said during investigation it had 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.”

Heroin was first procured by Ram Singh alone in December 2012. Subsequently both boxers went together to Zirakpur in Punjab for procuring heroin for consumption once in January and twice in February. As per the investigation, Vijender Singh consumed the drug about 12 times and Ram Singh about five times.

The police, however, have made it clear that the two boxers did not actively connive with the smugglers in their activities and nothing was seized from them. The police said both boxers were, therefore, not being arrested in the case at this stage. Ram Singh has been dismissed from the police department since it was established that he frequented the smugglers to procure heroin.

Vijender Singh had refused to give his blood and hair samples to the police. Hair testing facilities are not available in local forensic science laboratories (FSLs), the police said.

“The local FSL unit has been moved to provide information as to which lab in the country can conduct the test appropriately, the validity and certainty of such a test and the duration within which the drug can be detected in a hair sample,” the police said.

The boxer’s name cropped up in the entire drug episode following the disclosure made by Kahlon after drugs worth Rs 130 crore were seized from the alleged kingpin’s house in Zirakpur. Vijender’s car, registered in his wife’s name, had been found outside the house.

The police said they have seized 10 kg of “high priced” narcotics dubbed “ice” (methamphetamine) and 230 kg of raw material (pseudophedrine).

The manufactured “ice” and the raw material were being exported to the UK, Canada and Holland by narcotic smugglers through one Kulwant Singh, a UK national, who was earlier arrested in the case in New Delhi on March 19.

According to Kahlon and Kulwant Singh, the international retail price of “ice” is about Rs 5 crore per kg and of raw material about Rs 1 crore per kg.

The police said the drugs, including heroin and “ice,” were being sent by this group of smugglers to the UK, Canada and Holland.

Consignments were being sent both through air cargo from Delhi and by ship from Mumbai, which was organised by Kulwant Singh and Paramjit Singh (both arrested).

In the UK, the consignments were being received by Latif of Pakistan origin. Latif is settled in the UK. Five Chinese associates had visited Chandigarh for quality check of “ice” and pseudophedrine in 2010, the identities of whom have been established.

Till date, 15 people, including two Canadian and one UK citizen have been arrested.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Karachi, Jun 23: Pakistan cricketers Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and rookie Haider Ali on Monday tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

"The Pakistan Cricket Board has confirmed three players - Haider Ali, Haris Rauf and Shadab Khan - have tested positive for Covid-19," said the PCB in a statement.

"The players had shown no symptoms until they were tested in Rawalpindi on Sunday ahead of the Pakistan men's national cricket team's tour to England."

The infected players will go into self-isolation.

"The PCB medical panel is in contact with the three who have been advised to immediately go into self-isolation," the statement said.

Earlier this month, former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi was tested positive for the deadly virus.

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News Network
April 2,2020

New Delhi, Apr 2: BJP MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir on Thursday said that he will donate his two year's salary to PM-CARES Fund to support the battle against coronavirus pandemic in the country.

"People ask what can their country do for them. The real question is what can you do for your country? I am donating my 2 year's salary to #PMCaresFund. You should come forward too! @narendramodi @JPNadda @BJP4Delhi #IndiaFightsCorona," Gambhir tweeted.

The total number of coronavirus cases in India climbed to 1965 on Thursday after 131 people confirmed positive in the past 12 hours, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

At present, there are 1764 COVID-19 active cases in the country and 50 people have died due to the lethal infection.

Interestingly, on this day in 2011, India lifted its second World Cup title after a drought of 28 years. Gambhir played a crucial role in the final and anchored the run-chase.

India won its first World Cup in 1983 under the leadership of former all-rounder Kapil Dev. 

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News Network
February 24,2020

Feb 24: India captain Virat Kohli had no qualms in admitting that his team was outplayed by New Zealand in the opening Test but said they "can't help" if a few want to make a "big deal" out of the 10-wicket defeat. Hosts New Zealand thrashed India by 10 wickets at the Basin Reverse on Monday to go 1-0 ahead in the two-match series. This was India's first defeat in the World Test Championship, coming after two inept batting efforts. "We know we haven't played well but if people want to make a big deal out of it, make a mountain out of it, we can't help it as we don't think like that," the skipper said at the post-match media interaction.

Kohli said he fails to comprehend why one Test match defeat should be made to look like the end of the world for his team.

"For some people, it might be the end of the world but it's not. For us, it's a game of cricket that we lost and we move on and keep our heads high," Kohli said.

It is the acceptance of defeat that defines the character of a side, the world's premier batsman said.

"We understand that we need to play well to win, also at home. There's no cakewalk at international level as teams will come and beat you. You accept it and that defines our character as a side."

It is the acceptance of defeat that defines the character of a side, the world's premier batsman said. "We understand that we need to play well to win, also at home. There's no cakewalk at international level as teams will come and beat you. You accept it and that defines our character as a side."

If he had given credence to the "outside chatter", he said the team wouldn't have been where it is now.

"That's why we have been able to play this kind of cricket. If we would have paid attention to the outside chatter, we would again be at No. 7 or 8 in the rankings. We don't really bother about what people are saying on the outside," the skipper said.

One defeat can't make a team, which has been winning games of Test cricket, "bad overnight".

"If we have lost then we have no shame in accepting that. It means we didn't play this game well. It doesn't mean that we have become a bad team overnight. People might want to change our thoughts, but it doesn't work like that."

The self-belief is intact and Kohli was confident the team would come back stronger in the second Test, to be held in Christchurch in four days time.

"We will work hard, and after four days play just like we have played all these years. Just because we have lost one match in between all wins, doesn't mean that the belief is gone. The dressing room thinks differently and team atmosphere is different."

Kohli felt that there is a very thin line between being ultra-defensive and over-attacking, something that his team didn't get it right in this Test match.

"New Zealand got into the mind of the batsmen and make the batsmen do something that they don't want to. think that's a very thin line and a very delicate balance of when to attack and when to put bowlers under pressure which we failed to do in this match and there is no harm in accepting that."

According to Kohli, it was a combination of both good bowling from the Kiwis and Indian batsmen not putting the pressure back on bowlers, which led to the drubbing.

"That has got to do with partly good bowling from New Zealand and partly us not pressing that momentum on to them when required. "It was perfect for them because they bowled well and we allowed them to bowl well for longer periods rather than doing something about it in a partnership."

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