New Delhi: Delhi Police on Thursday denied allegations that its personnel were drunk and force was used against protesting wrestlers during a late-night ruckus at Jantar Mantar between cops and some grapplers. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), New Delhi, said five police personnel were injured in the Wednesday night ruckus. The wrestlers, on the other hand, have alleged that they were beaten up by the police and a couple of protesters were injured in the head.
“A sufficient number of women officers were on duty during the night. On the medical examination, no police personnel were found drunk. Five police personnel sustained injuries during the scuffle. No force was used by police personnel against the protestors. Regarding injury to one protestor, he left the hospital against medical advice and has not given a statement to the police yet,” the DCP tweeted from his official handle.
DCW Expresses Concerns Over Scuffle
Earlier in the day, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal said the protesters told her that police personnel were inebriated at the time of the incident.
According to protestors, two wrestlers – Rahul Yadav and Dushyant Phogat – were injured in the incident. Phogat, an award-winning wrestler, also received head injuries. The DCP said barricades have been put up at several locations across Delhi as precautionary measures to ensure no untoward incident takes place.
On Wednesday night, police detained Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and DCW chairperson Maliwal, when they went to the spot to support the wrestlers.
SC Closes Proceedings On Women Wrestlers’ Plea
In a related development, the Supreme Court today closed the proceedings on a plea by three women wrestlers, who have levelled sexual harassment allegations against the Wrestling Federation of India chief, after noting that FIRs have been registered and seven complainants have been provided adequate security.
A bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud refused to entertain an oral plea by the counsel representing the wrestlers that the ongoing probe be monitored by a retired or a serving high court judge.
“You came here with specific prayers for registration of FIR and security for the complainants. Now both of your prayers have been addressed. If you have any further grievances, you can very well approach the high court or the jurisdictional magistrate,” the bench, also comprising Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala, said, adding that it is closing the proceedings for now.
It granted liberty to the petitioner to move the high court or the jurisdictional magistrate for further relief. At the outset, the bench was informed by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Delhi Police, that as per the apex court’s April 28 order, an assessment of threat perception to the complainants was carried out by the police.
Several wrestlers who have won awards at international competitions have been protesting at Jantar Mantar, demanding that the government make public the findings of an oversight panel that investigated the sexual harassment charges against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
The Delhi Police has filed two FIRs against Singh on allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the BJP MP by seven women wrestlers. The wrestlers have asserted that they would not leave the protest site until Singh is arrested.
The wrestlers have levelled sexual harassment charges against WFI chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran Singh and have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding his arrest as well as ouster from the WFI post. Various political parties, including the Congress and AAP, have lent their support to the wrestlers.