New Delhi: Delhi Police will initiate legal action against wrestlers Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat, among others, who were detained earlier in the day, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in Delhi Police told ThePrint that a First Information Report (FIR) will be lodged against them under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), likely including sections 146 (rioting), 141 (unlawful assembly), 425 (causing destruction to public property) and 353 (assaulting public servant on duty).
A majority of these offences attract a jail term of up to two years.
Delhi Police had detained the wrestlers Sunday noon before they could hold an all-woman mahapanchayat close to the newly-inaugurated Parliament building.
The wrestlers have been demanding the immediate arrest of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who has been accused of sexual harassment by seven women wrestlers, including a minor — charges he has denied.
Delhi police had filed two separate FIRs against Singh, including one under sections of the POCSO Act.
“We deeply respect the wrestlers,” Dependra Pathak, Special Commissioner of Police, Law and Order, had told the media earlier in the day, “but any hurdle in the inauguration of the new Parliament building will be dealt with politely but firmly”.
“We request wrestlers to not indulge in any anti-national (rashtra virodhi) activity today,” he had said.
The wrestlers were detained at various police stations across the national capital region (NCR). While Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and Sangeeta Phogat were released by evening, Bajrang Punia, Somvir Rathee and others are still under detention.
In a video posted on Facebook minutes after her release from Kalkaji police station, Vinesh Phogat said the “fight is not over yet”, and appealed to agitators to continue to protest wherever they are.
She also said that the police were aggressive and insensitive, and vengeful towards the wrestlers, and accused a high-ranking police officer of shooting “7-8 private videos” of her and Sangeeta. “All day, the police has done only one thing — crush our dignity,” she said.
The sportspersons had been sitting on dharna at Jantar Mantar since 23 April and had given a call for a ‘Mahila Mahapanchayat’ near the new Parliament which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier today.
While supporters planning to come to Delhi from Haryana and Punjab were detained, in Delhi, the police detained the protesting wrestlers who tried to march towards the new Parliament, thus thwarting the mahapanchayat.
While being taken away in a bus, wrestler Vinesh Phogat had told those present, “Congratulations on the new India.”
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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Source: The Print
