Maninder Singh case: Narcotics peddler arrested

NEW DELHI: A small-time drug peddler, who supplied cocaine to former cricketer Maninder Singh's friend Saim Siddiqui, has been arrested here, police said on Friday.

Sundramurthi was picked up on Thursday night by Narcotics Branch sleuths after his name came up during the interrogation of Siddiqui, who was arrested here with Singh on Tuesday.

A resident of Madrasi Colony in Lajpat Nagar locality of south Delhi, Sundramurthi had been peddling drugs for making quick money, police said.

Police also claimed to have seized 125 grams of charas from him.

According to police, the unemployed 24-year-old had supplied drugs to Siddiqui, a small-time cricketer who has played in Delhi's league circuit.

"We are questioning him to know the source of supply of the contraband, distribution pattern and his clientele," a senior police official said.

Singh was caught with 1.5 grams of cocaine near his flat in Preet Vihar area of East Delhi when he was about to leave for the airport to catch a flight to Mumbai.

Police had claimed that Siddiqui supplied the cocaine to Singh, who was going through a 'rough patch' in his personal life and took to drugs to de-stress himself.

Singh, police said, was a regular cocaine user and was planning a getaway in Mumbai, where he was to stay at the Wankhade stadium, to unwind.

However, the 41-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator has vehemently denied the charges that he was a drug addict and rubbished police claims that they have recovered cocaine from him.