Boxer Dingko Singh sent to custody for assaulting girl athlete

A Manipur court Friday sent Asian Games gold medal winning boxer Dingko Singh to 15 days judicial custody on charges of assaulting a 17-year-old girl athlete and outraging her modesty.

The ace boxer and an Arjuna awardee was arrested Thursday. He was presented before the chief judicial magistrate of Imphal west district Friday.

"Dingko Singh surrendered to police Thursday evening after family members of the female athlete registered a case against him," police said.

Police said the incident took place Jan 13 at the Khuman Lampak Sports Complex in Imphal.

The woman told police she was assaulted by Dingko Singh who alleged that she had scribbled his name on his car's dust-covered registration plate.

Dingko Singh said the athlete had written "Oja Dingko with love from ...".

The boxer, also a coach of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), had allegedly paraded all women players of the complex hostel and asked them to write his name on a piece of paper.

Subsequently, he singled out the girl and claimed it was she who had scribbled his name on the car's registration plate.

The girl alleged that Dingko Singh hit her with a stick in a brutal manner.

She has since received treatment at a private hospital in Imphal.

Dingko Singh shot to fame by winning a gold medal at the 13th Asian Games in Bangkok in 1998. He was posted as a SAI coach in Manipur in December last year.

He was honoured with the Arjuna Award after his success in the 1998 Asian Games and was conferred the Padma Shri last year.

Several organisations in the state, including the All Manipur Weightlifting Association, have condemned his behaviour and demanded strong action against him.

Sunil Elangbam, secretary of the All Manipur Weightlifting Association, said they would send a formal complaint against the boxing coach to SAI officials.