All play, no work made Khali rich
Ajay Bharadwaj
Link: http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1162649

Wrestler on sick leave for over two years

CHANDIGARH: His fans may be enthused at the return of WWE wrestler 'The Great Khali', but his employers, the Punjab police, are in a dilemma whether to honour him or to "discipline" him.

Khali alias Dalip Singh Rana has returned with many honours under his belt after emerging as the leading wrestler on the WWE circuit, but the Punjab Police is unimpressed. They are still waiting to hear from him about the small matter of his 'sick leave'.

Khali, posted at the Punjab Armed Police headquarters in Jalandhar, had taken ex-India leave for six months in 2006 to visit the US. Additional DGP Rajan Gupta said he later sought an extension of six months' leave on medical grounds. "But there has been no word from him after that. Surely that's not discipline," he told DNA.

What is more, while he has been earning in the millions - dollars, not rupees - Khali has also been receiving his monthly salary of Rs15,000 from the Punjab police regularly.

Khali's former coach Manjit Singh said he was a hit when he joined the body-building squad. He won a national gold medal, went abroad for training, and got picked up by talent scouts.

Singh says he had a word with Khali in Delhi on Saturday after his return. "If he comes to Punjab, we will honour him."

Gupta is non-committal when asked if disciplinary action will be taken. "It is for him to decide whether he wants to continue in the police or not."

Credit: A1 Wrestling Newsletter