Delhi Police Took Few Hrs To Lodge FIR Against Us, For Brij Bhushan They Took 7 Days: Bajrang Punia After Release

Bajrang Punia told reporters, "Going back home is not an option, I will meet the rest of the wrestlers and we will decide what needs to be done next."

New Delhi: Hours after protesting wrestlers were detained and FIR was registered against them, wrestler Bajrang Punia slammed the Delhi Police and said that it only took them few hours to register FIR against the wrestlers but they took seven days to lodge an FIR against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Singh, reported news agency ANI.

Speaking to the reporters, Punia said, "It is unfortunate that a person accused of sexual harassment attended the inauguration of the new Parliament building…It took Delhi Police only a few hours to register an FIR against us but it took them 7 days to register an FIR against Brij Bhushan Singh."

He added, "Going back home is not an option, I will meet the rest of the wrestlers and we will decide what needs to be done next."

Earlier on Sunday, the wrestlers, who have been seeking the removal of Wrestling Federation chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing female grapplers, were trying to march towards the new Parliament as they wanted to hold a women's Maha Panchayat in front of the new Parliament. 

Soon after, the Delhi Police booked the wrestlers for rioting and obstructing public servant in discharge of duty after a scuffle with security personnel and cleared the site of their over-month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and said they will not be allowed to return there.

The police said that 700 people were detained across the national capital. As many as 109 protesters, including the three wrestlers, were detained at Jantar Mantar. Women detainees were released later in the evening.

Opposition parties slammed the central government over the "manhandling" of wrestlers.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that the "arrogant king is crushing the voice of the people" on the streets as the "coronation" is over and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said it is "shameful our champions are treated in this manner".

Chaotic scenes were witnessed at the dharna site at Jantar Mantar, barely three kilometres from the new Parliament building that was inaugurated by the prime minister, as protesters and police personnel shoved and pushed each other when the Phogat sisters, Sakshi Malik and others tried to breach the barricades.

Immediately after the wrestlers and other protesters were pushed into buses and taken to different locations, the police personnel began clearing the protest site by removing cots, mattresses, coolers, fans and the tarpaulin ceiling along with other belongings of the wrestlers.

Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Dependra Pathak claimed the protesters ignored repeated requests and warnings and "wrestled" with police personnel who tried to stop them.

"Today was an important day for the country as the new Parliament building was to be inaugurated and despite warnings and repeatedly urging protesters at Jantar Mantar to not march beyond the protest site, they continued to do so," he said, adding the behaviour of the wrestlers was "highly irresponsible".

"They were out to disturb the preparations made by the security agencies," the senior police officer told PTI.

"The detained protesting wrestlers will not be allowed to continue with their dharna at Jantar Mantar. The entire protest venue at Jantar Mantar has been cleared," Pathak said.

Later, the police filed an FIR against the protesting wrestlers and their supporters.

"The FIR has been registered at Parliament Street police station under New Delhi district 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 today with the police," a senior police officer said.

The FIR has been registered 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) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the officer said.

Sections 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 147 (rioting) and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC and Section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act have also been invoked, he said.