Yadav’s witness turns hostile

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 29

In a last-ditch effort to save Narsingh Yadav from a possible lengthy ban for his doping violation, the wrestler’s defence team on Friday produced two cooks from SAI Sonepat centre’s mess as witnesses before NADA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel to establish a conspiracy theory.

Vijay and Rahul appeared before the three-member panel, which continued with its hearing into Yadav’s case to decide the quantum of punishment for failing dope tests on June 25 and July 5.

According to a well-placed source in NADA, one of the witnesses changed his testimony, telling the panel that he did not exactly see the junior wrestler mixing something in Yadav’s food.

The two cooks had been claiming to have seen a cadet category (U-17) wrestler put a white powder into Yadav’s food on June 5 at Sonepat hostel’s mess when the wrestler’s personal cook, Chandan Yadav, was not present. Chandan had later discarded the food after realising something fishy.

The prosecution has already demanded a ban of two to four years for Yadav for failing to produce enough circumstantial evidences to support his conspiracy theory. 

The panel summoned Vijay and Rahul on the request of Yadav’s lawyer Vidushpat Singhania.

The panel will pronounce the judgment either on Saturday or Monday.