Wrestler-turned-cop booked for joining Congress campaign

Mumbai, April 23

The Mumbai Police on Tuesday lodged an FIR against Narsingh P Yadav, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist wrestler-turned-Assistant Commissioner of Police, charging him with campaigning for Congress candidate for the Mumbai North-West seat, Sanjay Nirupam.

The FIR was lodged against Yadav, 40, in the Amboli Police Station, an official said.

On Sunday night, Yadav had campaigned for Nirupam in Yadavnagar area of Andheri West which falls under the Mumbai North-West Lok Sabha constituency.

Nirupam is pitted against Shiv Sena's sitting MP Gajanan Kirtikar, and Yadav is likely to face a departmental enquiry for his indiscretion.

Born in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the wrestler had bagged the gold medals in the Men's Freestyle 74 kg category at the Asian Games and at the Commonwealth Games held in New Delhi, both in 2010, a Silver Medal at Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2011, besides bronzes at World Championship in Las Vegas (2015), Asian Games in Doha and Incheon.

In early 2016, he was embroiled in a doping scandal and barred from contesting for four years owing to which he could not participate in the Rio Olympics later that year.

IANS