The methylhexaneamine dope scandal that rocked the 2010 Commonwealth Games continues to drag on with the hearing into the case adjourned till September 19 after the lawyer representing the 11 implicated athletes sought to point out procedural lapses by the National Dope Testing Laboratory.

The counsel for the athletes, R K Anand, argued that the NDTL had not followed procedure as it had not maintained a clear internal and external chain of custody of the urine samples and trashed the laboratory for lack of documentation as is required under World Anti-Doping Agency rules.

Eleven athletes -- swimmers Richa Mishra, Amar Muralidharan and Jyotsna Pansare, wrestlers Rajeev Tomar, Rahul Mann, Sumeet, Joginder, Mausam Khatri and Gursharanpreet Kaur and athletes Saurabh Vij and Akash Antil -- tested positive for methylhexaneamine stimulant just before the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Anand contended that in the absence of a logbook at the NDTL for the refrigerator and cold storage, anybody can open and seal any sample.
"Whenever the sample is taken out or opened  or sealed, there should be a signature each time in a logbook maintained. But there is no such logbook for refrigerator and cold storage at the NDTL. Anybody can go and take out the sample," he contended.