NEW DELHI: Three top athletes of the Services have been detained by the Military Police for more than two months on Suspicion of having contacts with Bhai Harjinder Singh Jinda who is imprisoned in Pune Jail.
Jaspal Singh Pritam Singh and Manohar Singh —were Picked up on suspicion by the local police froma ca stall outside the jail on December 24 last. The three were attending a coaching camp in Pune’s Army School of Physical Training (ASPT).
The Pune Police interrogated the three for a few days but no charges were leveled against them. Later the authorities in ASPT started investigations into the matter and finally sent the athletes to the Capital. They are being kept in separate rooms under close military surveillance. But so far no charges have been established against them.
Both Jaspal and Pritam are the top marathon runners of the Services and one day before they were picked up by the police they had performed creditably in the Pune International Marathon. Jaspal had finished fifth while Pritnam was ninth.
According to sources the two runners had taken off from training on December 24 after a hard run in the Pune Marathon and were spending time in the city. It was perhaps the good physique of hammer thrower Manohar Singh which put them into trouble the sources feel. The policemen took him to be a street fighter with two accomplices
Being in military custody here Jaspal and Pritam missed the National Cross Country Championship held early this month in Lucknow. If the two had taken part they might have been selected to World Cross Country Championship in Belgium.
Some top athletes in the Capital have decided to organise a civil protest in the form of a run in support of the three athletes. They also plan to submit a memorandum to the Chief of the Army Staff Gen S F Rodrigues demanding early decision in the matter.
They are also planning to approach the Services Sports Control Board for the release of the three athletes.
Article extracted from this publication >> March 29, 1991
