Indian Olympic bronze-medallist boxer Vijender Singh took heroin 12 times, according to police who are investigating his links to an alleged dealer and a US$24-million drug haul last month.
Police in northwestern Punjab said investigations showed both Vijender, who won a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and fellow boxer Ram Singh procured the drug from the alleged dealer between December and February.
“Vijender Singh consumed the drug about 12 times and Ram Singh about five times,” Punjab police said in a statement on Sunday that did not specify how they had reached this conclusion.
“However, they did not actively connive with the smugglers in their activities and nothing was recovered from them – as such both of them are not being arrested in the case at this stage.”
The police said Vijender, himself a police officer in the neighbouring state of Haryana, had declined to provide hair and blood samples for testing last month.
Vijender, 27, who became a household name in India after winning the Olympic medal, has strongly denied any link to the drug dealer and has slammed as “ridiculous” the allegations against him.
The high-profile sportsman has not been seen in public for the past few weeks and has not issued any statement on the latest police allegations.