India’s top wrestlers protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Wednesday night alleged that they were manhandled and abused by the police while they were trying to bring folding beds to the site, PTI reported.
Former wrestler Rajveer alleged that one policeman, who was drunk, abused Commonwealth Games gold medal winner Vinesh Phogat and got involved in a scuffle with others.
“Our mattresses got wet due to rain, so we were bringing folding beds for sleeping, but the police did not allow that,” Rajveer said. “They started hitting us. [Olympic medal winner] Bajrang Punia’s brother-in-law Dushyant Phogat and another wrestler Rahul Yadav suffered head injuries. The police did not let doctors reach the site. Even the women constables were misbehaving with us.”
The Delhi Police, however, denied that their officer was drunk and claimed that no protester was beaten. They termed the incident as a “minor altercation”.
Videos shared on social media showed the protestors arguing with uniformed members of the Delhi Police and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik breaking down during the scuffle.
The athletes have been staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar since April 23. They are demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation Of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh, alleging he has sexually harassed several female players.
Singh, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party MP from Uttar Pradesh, has denied the allegations and refused to step down from his post in the wrestling body.
The Delhi Police last week filed two first information reports against him, roughly four months after the wrestlers first went public with the charges.
On Wednesday, Phogat said that the protesting wrestlers are not criminals and do not deserve such treatment.
“The cop jumped in and stopped us – didn’t wait for a woman cop and just started pushing us,” Phogat said at an impromptu post-midnight press conference. “Some of us were hit on the head with a stick. Did we win medals for the nation to see such days...Where were the women cops when the constable was pushing us around?”
Following the chaos, Punia said that he is ready to return all the medals that he has won to the government.
He also exhorted farmers and members of the public to reach Jantar Mantar to support the protestors, reported PTI. “This is the time,” he said. “If not, then when? This is a question of the dignity of our daughters. People like Brij Bhushan are roaming freely despite being criminals and all this is happening to us.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Delhi) Pranav Tayal claimed that the incident took place after Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti arrived at the site without permission and carrying foldable beds.
“On being asked about the beds, his supporters became aggressive and tried to get the beds from a truck,” Tayal said. “Subsequently, a minor altercation took place following which Bharti, along with two others, was detained.”
Congress leader Deepender Hooda and chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women Swati Maliwal were also among those detained. “I am concerned for their safety,” Maliwal said on Thursday morning. “Why is Delhi Police protecting Brij Bhushan Singh? Why is Delhi Police not arresting him?”
The protesting wrestlers also told the Supreme Court on Wednesday that the Delhi Police have not taken any action after filing two cases against Singh.
“The police is yet to record our statement under Section 161 of Code of Criminal Procedure,” their counsel told a bench a comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha.
The judges accepted the wrestlers request to place additional material in a sealed cover ahead of a hearing on Thursday.
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