|
Former Olympian blackbelt held for robbery |
|
Wednesday, September 01, 2004 |
 Delhi Police have arrested a blackbelt in martial arts on charges of carjacking and robbery. The accused, Shailendra Kadyan, had even travelled to the Atlanta Olympics with the Indian team. He was disqualified in the hammer throw event.
The Special Cell of Delhi Police also arrested three of Kadyan’s associates after a brief shootout in Najafgarh on Sunday. They recovered a Zen and a Qualis, robbed from the Najafgarh area this month, three motorcycles, a pistol and a countrymade weapon from them.
“Kadyan took to crime after suffering losses in business,” said Jt CP Karnail Singh. Kadyan, 32, is a graduate from University College in Rohtak and also an LLB. He represented his state in the National Junior Weighlifting Championship. In 1994, he won the gold medal in the North India Taekwondo championship.
Kadyan also won the gold medal in Haryana State Arm Wrestling championship for two consecutive years in 1999 and 2000. He claims to be the president of the Indian Arm Wrestling Federation and vice-president of the World Arm Wrestling Federation.
He had made it to the Indian team to Atlanta Olympics even though he failed to clear the trials for the Hammer throw event. His three associates were identified as Yogesh Kumar, Anoop Singh and Devanand — all of them residents of Najafgarh.
“Kadyan practised as a lawyer in the courts of Rohtak and Jhajjar. He also defrauded people by promising to arrange visas to the UK and the US. He was, however, cheated of Rs 26 lakh by a tout. With creditors breathing down his neck, Kadyan took to carjacking and robbery,” said DCP Ashok Chand. The police said the gang was involved in a number of such crimes. |
