Punjab: 20-year outdated boxer dies of drug overdose

The 2018 Junior Nationals silver medallist and 2018 Khelo India Youth Games bronze medalist Punjab boxer 20-year-old Kuldeep Singh died allegedly of drug overdose at his hometown Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district in Punjab on Wednesday night. The boxer was discovered unconscious on Rama street within the city and was pronounced lifeless when he was taken to a neighborhood hospital. The household of the boxer alleged that some village youths had forcibly taken Kuldeep Singh on Wednesday afternoon and that the locals later knowledgeable them about him mendacity unconscious on the street.

“Sada tan boxer putt sanu chad gaya. Ohne tan competition jana siga agle mahine (Our boxer son has left us. He was supposed to compete in a competition next month). Some local youth took him by force along with him after his college classes and we were informed later that he was found unconscious. Later, when we reached the hospital, doctors told us that he had died of drug overdose. He was given injections by the local youth and we are hopeful that the postmortem report will clear things,” stated Kuldeep’s elder brother Mela Singh, who runs a saloon within the city.

“We have filed a FIR number 135 and under IPC 304 against six youth, who made Kuldeep take drugs,” the Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI) Dhararmvir Singh advised The Indian Express.

Third youngest of 4 siblings, Singh had began boxing on the age of 8 on the Baba Ajit Singh Boxing Welfare Club, Talwandi Sabo beneath the coach Hardeep Singh. The teen first received the title within the faculty nationals at Dehradun in 2017 earlier than repeating the feat subsequent yr in Guwahati. The similar yr, Singh would win a silver medal within the BFI Junior National Boxing Championship held at Mohali aside from a bronze medal within the Khelo India Games at New Delhi. He could be chosen to coach on the Punjab Institute of Sports (PIS) Mohali put up his feat.

Assistant Sub-Inspector of Police (ASI) Dhararmvir Singh advised The Indian Express {that a} FIR quantity 135 and beneath IPC 304 had been filed in opposition to six youth, who made Kuldeep take medicine. (Express picture)

The teen had been coaching at Mohali earlier than shifting his base again to Talwandi Sabo three months in the past. “Kuldeep had started the sport after he saw a local youngster boxing and would come with his father to train. He would never miss any training session and was very happy when he won the silver in junior nationals and with his selection in PIS,” stated the coach Hardeep Singh.

The coach too laid the identical allegation because the household about some unhealthy components within the village.

“He was approached by the same set of youth and was given doses of heroin (Chitta) by them. He had to be admitted to a local hospital. Post that, he had started training again with me and would come for practice daily. Yesterday, he was taken by the same set of youths and when we saw his dead body, we saw more than 50 syringe marks. He did not have any syringe marks earlier; how is it possible that it can be done by him?,” stated the coach Hardeep Singh.

ASI Dharamvir Singh, who’s investigating the case, stated Talwandi Sabo Police has filed an FIR in opposition to six folks. “Kuldeep Singh had been admitted to a local hospital two and half months ago and was released after treatment for drugs. Yesterday, he went with some youth to the Rama road near the city and we got a call from locals that a body was found. We sent an unconscious Kuldeep to the local hospital and doctors declared him dead at 8.10 pm. Postmortem was conducted today and the report will come later,” the ASI stated.