New Delhi: The Delhi police have filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the protesting wrestlers, protest’s organisers and other participants in the brawl that took place at Jantar Mantar on Sunday.
Sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, and 353 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act, are among the IPC sections under which the FIR has been filed.
“A case has been registered against wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other organisers of the protest. A few wrestlers had come to Jantar Mantar at night to protest, they were denied permission and were sent back,” said Delhi Police.
The Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) on Sunday sent a notice to the Delhi Police requesting that they detain Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the head of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), in connection with the matter.
The letter stated, “I wish to inform you that the Delhi Commission for Women is deeply pained to note that Delhi Police has manhandled female wrestlers and their families protesting peacefully at Jantar Mantar and forcefully detained them today.”
The DCW also demanded the immediate release of wrestlers who had been arrested earlier during a demonstration outside the new Parliament House. The wrestlers were calmly protesting and calling for the arrest of Singh, a member of parliament for the BJP who has been accused of sexual harassment and intimidation.
In their letter, DCW said, In light of the above, it is strongly recommended that:
A. Mr. Brij Bhushan Singh, the accused in the matter, be urgently arrested.
B. The female wrestlers and their families be immediately released by the Delhi Police, and action be taken against the officers responsible for detaining them.
Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, and Bajrang Punia were among a group of well-known wrestlers who were detained today by Delhi police while marching towards Delhi’s new Parliament building. In addition, the police cleared the protest site by removing the tents from Jantar Mantar, where the demonstration had been taking place.
Delhi police, in response to the ongoing protest, have reportedly undertaken the task of dismantling the makeshift tents set up by the wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, situated in the heart of the national capital, reported ANI.
The wrestlers had built makeshift tents at the Jantar Mantar protest location,where they have been protesting against Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for more than a month.
A scuffle broke out between Delhi police and protesting wrestlers on Sunday. The protesting wrestlers, who were marching towards the new Parliament building, were detained at Jantar Mantar and barricades were also broken.
#Watch | Delhi: Security personnel stop & detain protesting wrestlers as they try to march towards the new Parliament from their site of protest at #JantarMantar.
Wrestlers are trying to march towards the new Parliament as they want to hold a women’s Maha Panchayat. pic.twitter.com/GiRqkc42Hb
— NewsMobile (@NewsMobileIndia) May 28, 2023
This is how our champions are being treated. The world is watching us! #WrestlersProtest pic.twitter.com/rjrZvgAlSO
— Sakshee Malikkh (@SakshiMalik) May 28, 2023
The women wrestlers’ protesting at Jantar Mantar demanding action against BJP MP and Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh have called a mahapanchayat outside the new Parliament building on Sunday, the same day Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the new Parliament building.
Menawhile, top Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia has asserted that the Mahapanchayat will take place on Sunday while emphasising the fight for self-respect.
“Mahapanchayat will certainly be held today. We’re fighting for our self-respect.They’re inaugurating the new Parliament building today, but murdering democracy in the country.We appeal to the administration to release our people detained by police,” wrestler Bajrang Punia said.
#WATCH | Mahapanchayat will certainly be held today. We’re fighting for our self-respect.They’re inaugurating the new Parliament building today, but murdering democracy in the country.We appeal to the administration to release our people detained by police: Wrestler Bajrang Punia pic.twitter.com/VI4kGLxGWV
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2023
Security has been tightened at the Tikri border as khap panchayat leaders and farmers are said to join the protesting wrestlers’ march towards the new Parliament House in Delhi.
#WATCH | Security tightened in Tikri border as Khap Panchayat leaders and farmers are said to join protesting wrestlers’ march towards the new Parliament House in Delhi today. pic.twitter.com/jGsrZxUmvz
— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2023
Notably, India’s top wrestlers have been demanding the arrest of Bhushan for allegedly sexually harassing several women grapplers. The protest at Jantar Mantar has gone on for more than a month now with no solution in sight.