Delhi Police caught in midnight scuffle with wrestlers at Jantar Mantar; Vinesh, Bajrang suffer injuries, Dushyant Phogat gets cut on forehead | More sports News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Police got into a scuffle with the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar late in the night on Wednesday.
As witnessed by TOI, the wrestlers wanted to bring in extra mattresses and wooden benches to the protest site since rains in the national Capital in the evening had made their old mattresses wet and soggy.
But Delhi Police didn’t allow the wrestlers to take the mattresses and benches inside the protest site. A policeman, who was allegedly drunk, misbehaved with wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Sangeeta Phogat. He also allegedly abused the female wrestlers.

The male wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia and Sakshi’s husband Satyawart Kadian, intervened. As the matter escalated, a scuffle broke out between the police and the protesting wrestlers.
The police, thereafter, resorted to push and shove and even waved lathis which resulted in Bajrang suffering a shoulder injury and Vinesh a knee injury.

(ANI Photo)
Another wrestler, Dushyant Phogat, the brother of Geeta and Babita Phogat, suffered a cut on his forehead. He was taken to the RML Hospital for treatment.

The police then tried to detain Bajrang, Satyawart, Jitender Kinha and the other male wrestlers, but Vinesh jumped the barricade and threw her body in the line of fire. She was again hit by a female constable in the skirmish.
Vinesh alleged that Dharmender Kumar Singh, the Assistant Commissioner of Police present at the site, also abused her.
“Did we win medals for India to see such atrocities. Brij Bhushan has been sleeping comfortably on his bed in Gonda and here we have been spending sleepless nights on the streets under the sky demanding justice,” said Vinesh.

“Where were lady constables when the male police personnel were hitting me, Sakshi (Malik) or Sangeeta (Phogat). They were abusing and dragging us,” added the reigning CWG and Asian Games champion.
Bajrang, on his part, said, “It’s been raining in Delhi. We brought some additional mattresses and wooden cots to sleep. The Delhi police didn’t allow us to bring them in. And when we confronted them, the police personnel started hitting us. It was unprovoked.”

“If you want to kill us, kill us right now. But don’t torture us like this. Don’t humiliate us like this. We are India’s daughters. And a person like Brij Bhushan who is accused of sexual harassment is sleeping peacefully in his home,” added Vinesh.

As the altercation reached a crescendo, senior police officials came to control the situation. At least 200-300 police personnel cordoned off the Jantar Mantar protest area. Only 20 wrestlers remained at the site.

(TOI Photo)
Police said AAP MLA Somnath Bharti had come with some folding beds at the protest site and was told by an ACP that it would not be allowed. The wrestlers then started taking the beds inside the protest site which led to a scuffle.
The cops denied hitting anyone.
“Bharti along with two others have been detained. We are looking into the matter,” a senior police officer told TOI.