NEW DELHI (TIP): Close on the heels of the Narsingh Yadav+ controversy, another athlete banned for doping has moved Delhi High Court alleging foul play. Sumati Devi, a national level weightlifter who is facing a four-year ban for allegedly taking a prohibited substance, has claimed in her plea that one of her colleagues gave her a drink laced with a banned drug.

Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva has sought a reply from National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) on her plea and also issued notices to the Centre and CRPF on Devi’s petition. She is working as a CRPF inspector and is a resident of Manipur. Devi has sought quashing of the July 8 order passed by NADA, terming the penalty of four years “very harsh”. Devi has alleged that one of her colleagues, with whom she shared a room in the sports hostel attached to Jawaharlal Nehru stadium while participating in 63rd All India Police Games Championship in March 2015, had given her a protein drink which was laced with an “anabolic steroid”.

She said that in the event held on March 5, 2015, she secured the second position and as the urine sample of first three position holders was collected for screening the presence of any prohibited substance, her blood sample was also taken. She then participated in the 30th women national weight lifting championship held in Rajasthan during which the NADA issued first notice to her on April 10, 2015 stating that some prohibited sub stances were found in her body, the plea said. On April 21, 2015, Devi informs in her plea she went to NADA office and explained her case after which she was served with a second notice on April 28.

Explaining the sequence of events, Devi claimed that on March 3, 2015, when she came to her room after her practice, she found that one of her roommates was preparing her protein drink which was offered to her in a friendly manner.

“After much deliberation, it had come to her knowledge that one of her roommates/colleagues… have given/shared her protein drink/food supplement. By now she is fully convinced that she must have laced the said drink with anabolic steroid during the said sports meet. Accordingly, she has lodged a written complaint to the Director General, NADA, for taking appropriate action against her on May 7, 2015,” her plea added.