NEW DELHI: A 31-year-old former national-level wrestler, who had been on the run for nearly three years after being declared a proclaimed offender in an alleged opium smuggling case, has been arrested by the Delhi Police, officials said.Amit Sheoran, a bronze medallist at the 2013 National Cadet Wrestling competition, was apprehended near Madhuban Chowk Metro Station on Tuesday night following a coordinated operation. The Rohtak resident was wanted by Jharkhand Police in connection with an NDPS case registered at Dhurwa (Tupudana) police station in Ranchi.According to police, Sheoran was allegedly involved in sourcing opium for supply to wrestling training centres, or akhadas, across Haryana and Delhi. He was subsequently handed over to the Jharkhand Police for further judicial proceedings.
‘Many wrestlers used to take opium’
The investigation has drawn particular attention to Sheoran’s disclosure about alleged opium use among wrestlers at prominent training centres.During interrogation, Sheoran reportedly told investigators that he had observed several wrestlers using opium during his time training at the Mehar Singh Akhada in Rohtak and Delhi’s Chhatrasal Stadium.“Many wrestlers used to take opium to increase their working hours and practice sessions,” he told investigators, according to the Delhi Police.The claim has emerged during an investigation into an alleged drug-supply network targeting wrestlers in North India. Police said a Jharkhand-based supplier, Rajesh Nag, was arrested in April 2023 with nearly half a kilogram of opium. During questioning, Nag reportedly told investigators that his supplies were “specifically dedicated to the wrestlers of North India” and identified Sheoran as one of the primary receivers.The allegations are part of the police investigation and do not establish that wrestlers at either training centre generally use opium.
From national-level wrestling to alleged drug network
Sheoran had been evading arrest since December 6, 2023, when a court declared him a proclaimed offender. Police said he had previously worked as a bouncer at bars and nightclubs in Delhi before allegedly becoming involved in drug trafficking.Despite winning a national-level medal, Sheoran’s ambitions of securing a job with the Indian Railways were eventually derailed, according to the Crime Branch. Police said he was allegedly “lured to work as a drug supplier with the promise to earn quick and easy money” by an associate identified as Ranjeet.A “credible human intelligence input” regarding Sheoran’s movement in the Ranibagh-Pitampura area eventually led investigators to him. On August 18, a joint team of the Delhi Police Crime Branch and Jharkhand Police laid a trap near Madhuban Chowk Metro Station. Sheoran was identified and apprehended at around 10pm.Police records indicate that Sheoran is currently involved in six criminal cases. The Crime Branch described the arrest as “a major blow to organised crime” and said it followed continuous surveillance, intelligence gathering and coordinated field operations targeting suspects evading the judicial process.Sheoran has now been handed over to Jharkhand Police.
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