Notifications
Settings
Clear Notifications
Notifications
Use the toggle to switch on notifications
  • Block for 8 hours
  • Block for 12 hours
  • Block for 24 hours
  • Don't block
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts

Wrestlers' protest: Delhi Police prohibit sit-in at Jantar Mantar after filing FIR against Bajrang Punia & Co.

Wrestlers' protest won't return to their launch site Jantar Mantar as Delhi Police released a statement on their official Twitter handle, prohibiting sit-in at the location while directing the wrestlers to apply for permission to take it to another suitable spot.

"Yesterday, despite all requests, protestors turned aggressive. That's why the ongoing protest has been ended," Delhi Police wrote on Twitter. "If wrestlers want to continue their protest, they will have to apply for permission at a suitable and notified spot."

wrestlers-protest-delhi-police-jantar-mantar

The statement was released after Delhi Police filed FIR against Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik, Sangeeta Phogat and organisers, accusing them of rioting, assault to deter public servant from doing his duty and other charges. FIR has been filed under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 147, 149, 186, 188, 332, 353, Section 3 of the PDPP Act.

The police already removed all the tents, mattresses and other arrangements for the wrestlers from the protest site. Wrestlers' protest -- against BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment charges -- took an ugly turn on Sunday morning.

Their march to the new Parliament for a 'Mahila Mahapanchayat' was blocked at the onset by the police personnel, who cited that wrestlers don't have permission for it. A scuffle broke out between wrestlers and police soon after as the latter accused the protestors of breaking the security barricades.

Wrestlers and their supporters were dragged and detained from the spot before being pushed into a bus. They were taken to separate police stations and detained for several hours before women wrestlers were released in the evening. Bajrang Punia and other male supporters were released at night as the police also filed an FIR against them.

Following their release, Bajrang Punia addressed the media outside the police station saying that their protest is going to continue until they get justice while condemning the action of the police.

"It is unfortunate for our country that the new parliament building was being inaugurated and an accused (Brij Bhushan) was present," said Punia. "There is no point in going home till we get justice. For 10 hours we were detained in different police stations. I was the last one to get released."

2016 Olympic bronze medallist Sakshi Malik took to Twitter to express her disappointment at FIR being filed against them within a few hours while it took several days to do the same against Brij Bhushan, against whom the FIR was lodged after Supreme Court directed the police to do so under sexual assault charges.

"It takes seven days for Delhi Police to register an FIR against Brij Bhushan who sexually assaulted the wrestlers and it didn't even take seven hours to register an FIR against us for peacefully protesting. Has dictatorship started in this country? The whole world is watching how the government is treating its sports persons," tweeted Olympic medallist wrestler Sakshi Malik.

Story first published: Monday, May 29, 2023, 13:00 [IST]
Other articles published on May 29, 2023
Gender
Select your Gender
  • Male
  • Female
  • Others
Age
Select your Age Range
  • Under 18
  • 18 to 25
  • 26 to 35
  • 36 to 45
  • 45 to 55
  • 55+