Wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar allege they were manhandled by Delhi Police

‘Some of us were hit on the head with a stick,’ Commonwealth Games gold medal winner Vinesh Phogat said. ‘Did we win medals for the nation to see such days?’

May 4, 2023 - 10:30

Wrestlers protesting at Jantar Mantar allege they were manhandled by Delhi Police

India’s top wrestlers protesting at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Wednesday night alleged that they were manhandled and abused by the police while they were trying to bring folding beds to the site, PTI reported.

Former wrestler Rajveer alleged that one policeman, who was drunk, abused Commonwealth Games gold medal winner Vinesh Phogat and got involved in a scuffle with others.

“The mattresses got wet due to rain, so we were bringing folding beds for sleeping, but the police did not allow that,” Rajveer said. “They started hitting us. [Olympic medal winner] Bajrang Punia’s brother-in-law Dushyant and Rahul suffered head injuries. The police did not let doctors reach the site. Even the women constables were misbehaving with us.”

The Delhi Police, however, denied that their officer was drunk and claimed that no protester was beaten. They termed the incident as a “minor altercation”.

Videos shared on social media showed the protestors arguing with uniformed members of the Delhi Police.

VIDEO | Ruckus between protesting wrestlers and Delhi Police at Jantar Mantar. More details are awaited. pic.twitter.com/AIS5zgH4My— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2023

The athletes have been staging a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar since April 23. They are demanding the arrest of Wrestling Federation Of India chief Brij Bhushan Singh, alleging...