Now Reading: National-level wrestler arrested after three-year manhunt for opium smuggling
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National-level wrestler arrested after three-year manhunt for opium smuggling
National-level wrestler arrested after three-year manhunt for opium smuggling
The Story in Brief
Amit Sheoran, a 31-year-old former national-level wrestler from Rohtak, Haryana, was arrested by Delhi Police near Madhuban Chowk Metro Station in northwest Delhi on Tuesday night. Sheoran was wanted in connection with a Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act case registered at Dhurwa police station in Ranchi in April 2023, after 492 grams of opium was allegedly recovered from a supplier.
According to police, the supplier, Rajesh Nag, during interrogation disclosed that he cultivated opium and supplied it specifically to wrestlers in north India. Nag allegedly named Sheoran and another accused, Ranjeet, as receivers of the drug. Sheoran was declared a proclaimed offender by a court on December 6, 2023. During interrogation, Sheoran told police he started wrestling at age 14 and won a bronze medal at the 2013 National Cadet Wrestling Championship in Kanyakumari.
The Times of India reports that Sheoran claimed during questioning that many wrestlers at prominent training centres, including the Mehar Singh Akhada in Rohtak and Chhatrasal Stadium in Delhi, used opium to increase their working hours and practice sessions. Police records show Sheoran is involved in six criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, cheating, and multiple NDPS cases. He has been handed over to Jharkhand Police for further judicial proceedings.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The coverage is largely uniform across the three sources, all reporting the same arrest details and police disclosures. Hindustan Times and Times of India provided comprehensive, wire-style reporting, while NDTV Sports chose a sensationalist framing by labelling Sheoran a 'drug smuggler' in its headline and delivering only a minimal summary. The key difference lies in how each outlet handled Sheoran's claim about wrestlers using opium. Times of India included the full quote and context, noting the claim comes from police interrogation and does not establish widespread use. Hindustan Times also reported the claim but more briefly. NDTV Sports omitted it entirely. The careful reader should note that Sheoran's statement is a single accused person's account under questioning, not corroborated evidence. The next step is Sheoran's appearance before a court in Jharkhand for judicial proceedings.
Coverage: 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
Sources (3): hindustantimes.com (neutral report), timesofindia.indiatimes.com (neutral report), sports.ndtv.com (sensationalist)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above. Methodology and corrections.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
