Wrestlers protest: Over 700 detained, FIR registered against organisers

New Delhi: Overall 700 people were detained across Delhi, including 109 at Jantar Mantar, while an FIR was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the wrestlers – Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat – who had organised the protest in connection with Sunday’s incident, a Delhi Police official said. […]

New Delhi: Overall 700 people were detained across Delhi, including 109 at Jantar Mantar, while an FIR was registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the wrestlers – Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat – who had organised the protest in connection with Sunday’s incident, a Delhi Police official said.

According to the police, the FIR was lodged at the Parliament Street police station under Sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty), 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 147 (rioting) and 149 (Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committedAin prosecution of common object) of the IPC and Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act.

---

All women protestors, including wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat, were released on late Sunday evening.

Around 14 protestors from Najafgarh, detained from Janpath were released around 10 p.m. and 16 protestors including Surendra Solanki, the president of Palam Khap, were released from Vasant Vihar police station around 10:30 p.m.

The Sarv Khap mahapanchayat and protesting wrestlers had given a call to hold a women panchayat outside the newly constructed Parliament building in Delhi on Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to unveil it.

Last week on Sunday, the khap mahapanchayat held at Haryana’s Meham town in support of protesting wrestlers and lasting over five hours, claimed that women from across the nation would be participating in the panchayat scheduled for Sunday outside the newly constructed Parliament building.

On Sunday, tensions had heightened as Vinesh Phogat, along with her sister Sangeeta Phogat, and other wrestlers, made an attempt to breach the security barricades.

This led to a clash, with both protesters and police officers engaging in shoving and pushing, and later, all wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and their supporters were detained and removed from the protest site.

Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Sunday deplored ‘manhandling’ of protesting wrestlers by the city police and demanded immediate arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh against whom the wrestlers were staging protest at Jantar Mantar since April 23 over charges of sexual harassment.

Maliwal also demanded action against the officers responsible for detaining them.

Thousands of police personnel including paramilitary force were deployed in the bordering areas, including Tikri, Ghazipur, Singhu and Badarpur borders.

The police had made a formal request to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seeking permission to establish a temporary jail at the MC Primary Girls School located at Kanjhawala Chowk, Old Bawana. This request was made in case the need arises to maintain law and order situation, however, it was denied by Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi.