Boxer Vijender questioned, refuses to give blood sample

Chandigarh (PTI): Olympian boxer Vijender Singh on Monday refused to give his blood sample to the Punjab police which quizzed him for nearly four hours in the drug haul case. Fatehgarh Sahab SSP Hardyal Singh Mann said Vijender "refused" to give samples of his blood and hair during the process of questioning in Panchkula without giving reasons for doing so. "As per the procedure, in the presence of two private witnesses, he was asked for his consent for giving his blood and hair samples required for forensic examination for investigation purpose, which he refused," the SSP said in a statement. It said, "He was examined by a DSP and Inspector of Punjab Police from 5.00 PM to 8.30 PM" in connection with the FIR filed in the case after the recovery of 26 kg of heroin worth Rs.130 crore from the residence of alleged drug peddler and NRI Anoop Singh Kahlon. Mann said Punjab police tied up with Haryana police for questioning of Vijender, a DSP with the Haryana police. "The team headed by a DSP and Inspector of Punjab police went to Panchkula to the office of Hardeep Singh Doon, IPS, SSP Crime & Telecommunication, Haryana and questioned Vijender Singh in his office regarding the drug case registered last week," the SSP said. Highly placed sources, however, said that the boxer was quizzed for over two hours on his links with Kahlon and about the SUV registered in the name of his wife, Archana, found near the NRI's residence. Instead of asking Vijender to join investigations at Fatehgarh Sahab, where Ram Singh and seven others arrested are being questioned, the Punjab police team drove to a Haryana police set up located on the outskirts of Panchkula town in Haryana on the Chandigarh Naraingarh Highway for grilling him. Vijender's answers will be tallied with the statementsgiven by his sparring partner Ram Singh and seven other arrested, including Kahlon since last week, the sources said ruling out giving any clean chit to him at this stage. Asked whether Vijender could be called again for questioning, the sources said this option was open. Vijender was questioned about his visits to Kahlon as claimed by his Ram Singh.