Wrestlers Won't Be Allowed To Protest At Jantar Mantar: Delhi Police

A day after a scuffle between wrestlers and cops escalated, the Delhi police on Monday said that wrestlers will not be allowed to protest at Jantar Mantar as they broke the law in a frenzy despite repeated requests.

"The dharna and demonstration of the wrestlers were going on smoothly at the notified place of Jantar Mantar. Yesterday, the protesters broke the law in a frenzy despite repeated requests. Hence the ongoing dharna has been called off," the Deputy Commissioner of Police tweeted in Hindi.

"If the wrestlers apply for permission to stage a sit-in again in the future, they will be allowed at any of the suitable, notified places other than Jantar Mantar," it added.

Defending the FIR registered against protesting wrestlers, DCP Suman Nalwa said that wrestlers were informed that the protest march to the new Parliament building cannot be allowed on the said date and time.

"We informed protesting wrestlers beforehand that the protest march cannot be allowed on the said date and time but they remained stubborn on their demand," she said.

Chaos prevailed at Jantar Mantar after clashes broke out between the wrestlers and the security personnel who tried to stop them from marching to the new Parliament building as it was being inaugurated.

Following which, wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia along with other protesters were booked for rioting and obstructing public servant in the discharge of duty after some of them were detained while marching to the new Parliament building.

According to Delhi police, 700 people were detained across Delhi, including 109 protesters at Jantar Mantar. Women detainees were released later in the evening on Sunday.

The cops also cleared the site of their over-month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and said they would not be allowed to return there.

FIR against wrestlers
The FIR was also registered against the organisers of the protest, including wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sangeeta Phogat, and others who were part of the scuffle that took place at Jantar Mantar.

The protesters have been booked for riots, disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty and voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).