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Kabaddi player Amritpal Singh ‘Matta’ from Punjab has revealed that depression from maltreatment pushed him towards drugs. While he was overcoming his addiction at a rehabilitation centre, Matta was recently suspended by the Punjab Police on charges of drug abuse and for being absent from duty.
Matta is a known player in circle-style kabaddi and represented clubs in USA, Canada, Dubai and England during 2001 and 2007. Having joined Punjab Police as a constable in 2008, he admitted that he got depressed during his training period after being forced to do petty jobs.
“I had to serve drinks and food at parties, cut the grass inside the PAP (Punjab Armed Police) complex. This pushed me into depression,” revealed Matta.
Being a renowned player, he used to be invited to plenty of international tournaments. However, he revealed that the authorities at the PAP did not allow him to participate, going to the lengths of calling him back to duty just a day before a tournament.
Matta expressed, “At one time, PAP authorities didn’t extend my leave and called me back a day before the starting of a tournament in New York.”
He was also refused leave on compassionate grounds as he seeks to cure himself of the addiction by enrolling himself in a de-addiction centre.
The former kabaddi player said, “While I am getting treatment here, the authorities have suspended me for being absent.”
However, Surinder Singh Kalia, the Assistant Inspector General (AIG), said Matta’s suspension was a combination of absence from duty and drug addiction.
“Since he was caught taking drugs and later failed to join duty, he has been suspended,” said the AIG.
Matta, on his part, revealed that he used to buy drugs from colleagues inside the PAP campus.
“Drugs are easily available inside the PAP campus. I used to buy it from my colleagues who used to get it from an agent at Rama Mandi. We used to consume drugs during night shifts inside the PAP campus,” he said in a shocking revelation.
Surinder Kalia refuted the constable’s claims of availability of drugs inside the campus.
