NEW DELHI, March 29 - The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has suspended the Indian federation for the second time in two years following a string of doping violations by its lifters.

"Regrettably, four adverse analytical findings were reported on the occasion of doping controls carried out on the Indian national team members this year," the IWF said on its official Web site.

"The Indian Weightlifting Federation has been suspended, the duration of which will be decided by the IWF Executive Board at the end of May."

The Indian federation was banned for one year in August 2004 after two women lifters tested positive at the Athens Olympics.

This month, two male lifters, Edwin Raju and Tajinder Singh, tested positive at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games after female lifter Shailaja Pujari was dropped from the squad following tests conducted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

All three tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Stanozolol.

Indian federation secretary Balbir Bhatia identified female lifter Boradi Preemavalli as the fourth to test positive, also for Stanozolol.

"She is a 63kg lifter who won seven international medals last year," he said.

"She tested positive in SAI and WADA tests and was dropped from the Commonwealth Games squad."

SAI or Sports Authority of India is the state-run body which oversees training and also runs the doping laboratory in New Delhi, but is still awaiting WADA recognition.

The latest round of doping violations could leave the Indian federation facing a longer ban than before.

"Their provisional suspension will remain in force as long as all the applicable procedures have been completed," the IWF added.