Doping row: HC refuses to stay probe against BTC officials

Bengaluru: The high court on Tuesday declined to stay the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation in a doping case pertaining to racehorse Queen Latifa at Bangalore Turf Club (BTC), which allegedly involved top officials and a trainer.

Asking the investigation agency to go ahead with its probe and file the consequential report at the earliest, Justice K N Phaneendra, however, ordered notice to the CID and to H S Chandre Gowda, the complainant and a committee member of the Karnataka Race Horse Owners Association (KROA).

BTC chief executive officer Nirmal Prasad, chief stipendiary officer Paduman Singh, steward Vivek Ubhayakar, joint owner Arjun Sajnani and trainer Neil Alfred Darashah have filed the petition in the high court, challenging the FIR registered by High Grounds police and further proceedings based on the same.

According to the petitioners, they are responsible officers working at BTC and the complaint prima facie does not indicate how the alleged incident constituted an offence. They also argued that the FIR is an abuse of the process of law as there was a substantial delay in filing of the complaint.

Further, they claimed they have not indulged in cheating, and the action taken by them was as per the procedure prescribed by Medication Rules in the racing calendar and also in keeping with the benchmark set by turf authorities across the country.

A criminal case was registered against BTC officials after Queen Latifa, which had won a race in March 2017, tested positive for stimulants. On April 19, 2017, Chandre Gowda lodged a complaint with High Grounds police, saying BTC officials had used their powers to cover up the doping offence.

According to the complainant, during the winter season (between November 2016 and March 18, 2017, three winning horses tested positive for stimulants when their urine samples were sent for examination. One horse trainer was let off and the case was closed. The complaint was then entrusted to the CID for investigation for alleged doping as well as irregularities in the BTC administration.