The Delhi police have registered an FIR against the wrestlers - Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat and others - who had organised the protest near the new Parliament building in Delhi on Sunday, May 28, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The wrestlers had called for a protest gathering outside the newly constructed Parliament building on Sunday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to unveil it. Several wrestlers including Olympians have been protesting at Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh who is accused of sexual harassment. A Delhi police official said that over 700 people were detained over the protests across Delhi on Sunday, including 109 at Jantar Mantar. Delhi police’s attempts to forcefully end the wrestlers’ protest, and their manhandling of the protesters, has been widely criticised by Opposition leaders and many others.
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 committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (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 pm and 16 protestors including Surendra Solanki, the president of Palam Khap, were released from Vasant Vihar police station around 10.30 pm.
Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal on Sunday deplored the manhandling of protesting wrestlers by the city police and demanded immediate arrest of WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh against whom the wrestlers were staging protests at Jantar Mantar since April 23 over allegations of sexual harassment. Maliwal also demanded action against the officers responsible for detaining them.
The Sarv Khap mahapanchayat and protesting wrestlers had given a call to hold a women's 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, said 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. Police officers tried to stop them, and later, all wrestlers including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and their supporters were detained and removed from the protest site.
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.