BENGALURU: The Chief Executive Officer and an employee of the Bangalore Turf Club Ltd have been booked for giving performance-enhancing drugs to race horses.
H S Chandre Gowda, a member of the managing committee of Karnataka Racehorse Owners Association, filed a complaint with the High Grounds police against them on Wednesday. He alleged that Nirmal Prasad, CEO of the turf club, and Padman Singh, an official, misused their power and made trainers G Sandu, Neel Darasha and S Dominic dope the horses. They have violated the procedures and codes of the National Anti Doping Agency and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, he added.
“During the previous season held from February to March 2017, the urine sample of a three-year-old horse named Queen Latifa that won a race was sent to Delhi. After 10 days, experts in the lab sent a report that the horse was doped with drugs to win the race.
Based on the report, the chairperson was alerted about the incident and there was a demand to take action against the CEO, an officer and three trainers for dereliction of duty. But the chairman did not take any action against them and so I filed a criminal case against them,” Gowda said.
A senior police officer from High Grounds said an FIR has been filed and they were gathering evidence to take action against those named in the FIR.
When Express contacted Turf Club chairman Harindra Shetty, he refused to comment about the complaint.
After every race, the officials at the race course send urine samples of horses to laboratory for dope tests. According to officials, doping takes place on race days to enhance performance of horses and also to mask injuries, if any.