Never before in the history of the Royal Western India Turf Club, (RWITC) the annual election to the managing committee generated as much heat as this year with accusations and counter-accusations being exchanged between the two warring groups--one led by current chairman Vivek Jain, and the other by his arch rival KN Dhunjibhoy (KND).

The controversy took a new turn with the Bullseye doping case which, in the light of new evidence in the form of police witness Deepak Popat's testimony and his recorded conversation with Shroff's rival trainer Cooji Katrak, almost looks like a conspiracy to frame the star trainer along with owner Dhunjibhoy.

Excerpts from an interview with KN Dhunjibhoy:  

Q: The timing of Popat’s press note and the leakage of the tapes only days before the election are quite a remarkable co-incidence. Your comment.
Ans: Popat’s lawyer has already made it clear as to the reason why Popat was obliged to release the tapes. In any case, according to me the members need to know as much information as possible about the BULLSEYE case so that they can form their own opinion about the infamous attempt to malign Pesi Shroff’s and my reputation.

Q. Why you and your trainers have mostly figured in drug positive cases in recent years?
Ans: This is precisely the question. Not a single racing horse owned by me has come positive except ELOISE three years back which was traced to the feed supplied by RWITC. The rest were all horses returning from the farm and this itself clearly shows that they were being got at so as to spoil my reputation. Nobody would be foolish enough to send a medicated horse back, when everybody is fully aware that all such horses are compulsorily tested as soon as they arrive at the race course.

Q: Why did you hide the fact for more than two months that you had lodged a criminal complaint against Vivek Jain with the police?
Ans: Since mine was a criminal complaint, I had no obligation to inform the Stewards.

Q: How come all these conversations were being recorded?
Ans: This is not a relevant question at all as I have not played any part in it. Popat has been a regular race-goer for more than 30 years and I am informed that he was in the habit of recording all conversations. In any case, the real question is why Cooji Katrak contacted Popat and also who instigated Katrak to procure these false affidavits.

Supercop Rebeiro reacts to tapes:

"This tape is shocking. It's disgusting. Horse racing is such a lovely sport, it's really sad to see it being reduced to this. This whole thing has criminal aspects to it, and everyone must be investigated and prosecuted. The law is same for all, and anyone found guilty should be given the most stringent punishment."

Copyright: mid-day
Full text of Mr Julio Rebeiro's quote, courtesy Prakash Gosavi