CBI registers case in Narsingh doping scandal

Almost one month after the Prime Minister’s Office referred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) over accusations of doping on Indian wrestler Narsingh Yadav, the CBI on Tuesday registered a case in the doping scandal. Yadav was barred from participating in the Rio Olympics after banned substances were found in his urine samples.

Narsingh Yadav (26) who hails from Mumbai is a Commonwealth Games gold medalist. He was selected over double-Olympic medalist Sushil Kumar, to represent India in the Rio Olympics 2016. But the wrestler’s Rio dreams shattered following the charges placed by anti-doping authorities.

CBI sources on Tuesday said the agency has taken over investigation in the case in which FIR was registered by Haryana Police in Sonepat. The case has been registered under Section 120 B (criminal conspiracy), 328 (poisoning) and 506 of IPC. The CBI has re-registered the FIR and started its probe.

Yadav, whose samples taken on June 25 and July 5, had tested positive for a banned steroid just a few days before the start Rio Olympics, where he was scheduled to take part in the 74kg freestyle wrestling. The wrestler had then maintained that he was a victim of sabotage as his food was spiked during his stay at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre in Sonepat. He too had filed an FIR with Haryana police in this regard.

After he was slapped with a four-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), Yadav “became unconscious”.

The wrestler has been asking for CBI intervention in the failed dope test case that first saw him clash with NADA officials and then eventually he was barred from competing by the CAS.