In March the India National Anti-Doping Agency (INADA) has reported an anti-doping rule violation against the football player Ashutosh Mehta after his A and B samples tested positive for the prohibited substance Morphine in a concentration above the WADA threshold.
Following notification a provisional suspension was ordered. The Athlete filed a statement in his defence and he was heard for the Anti-Doping Disciplinary Panel of India (ADDPI).
The Athlete denied the intentional use of the substance and argued that he acted with No Significant Fault or Negligence. He testified that another football player had administered opium as self-medication the day before the match while he was unaware that this medication contained a prohibited substance.
The Panel finds that the presence of a prohibited substance has been established in the Athlete's sample and accordingly that he had committed in-competition an anti-doping rule violation.
In view of the evidence the Panel accepts that the violation was not intentional although he acted negligently with his medication. INADA's investigation determinded that the Athlete's substantial assistance was baseless.
Therefore the ADDPI decides on 15 September 2022 to impose a 2 year period of ineligibility on the Athlete, starting on the date of the provisional suspension, i.e. on 25 March 2022.
