E-Paper
Cops say 'go home or come to station': Wrestler Geeta Phogat slams police
Wrestlers' protest: Delhi Police have blamed the 'scuffle' at Jantar Mantar on Wednesday night on supporters of the wrestlers.
Wrestler Geeta Phogat hit out at Delhi Police Thursday afternoon, claiming she had been stopped from visiting Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, Vinesh Phogat and other colleagues at the city's Jantar Mantar for nearly a fortnight to highlight sexual assault claims against Wrestling Federation of India chief and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. Minutes later she tweeted again to say she and her husband, Pawan Saroha, had been detained by the police.
In a series of tweets - which includes a short video of her surrounded by Delhi Police personnel - Geeta Phogat had criticised the cops' ‘arbitrariness’.
LIVE COVERAGE: Wrestlers' protest grows, opposition parties extend support
"I was also stopped from visiting my siblings at Jantar Mantar. Police (are) saying there are only two ways - either go back to your home or go to the police (station). Highly condemnable," she said. (tweets translated from Hindi)
"I am being told to go to the police station. It is too much... interviews are being taken instead of (taking) those who should be taken (a reference to WFI chief Brij Bhushan) to the police station," she said.
And, in a Twitter exchange with Delhi Police this morning, - after the cops said 'no one has been stopped from meeting any protesters who are protesting at Jantar Mantar in a lawful manner' - Geeta Phogat wrote: "Still my car is stopped by your police on Karnal bypass..."
"Shame on such police," the wrestler added.
The already considerable tension surrounding the wrestlers' protest against Brij Bhushan Singh increased late last night after reports of a minor clash between them and police personnel stationed at the protest site.
Women wrestlers accused 'drunk' Delhi Police personnel of misbehaviour when fellow protesters tried to bring sleeping cots to the protest site. The police have since said no officer was under the influence and have blamed the fracas on unidentified others at the scene.
READ | Delhi Police claim no cop was drunk, blame wrestlers' supporters
News agency ANI cited an unnamed source as saying 'an attempt was made to vitiate the atmosphere forcibly in the night... which was opposed by the police'.
The 'scuffle' resulted in a tearful rebuke by the wrestlers, who declared medals and awards conferred on them by the Indian government were of no use in the face of such 'abuse'.
"When they (the cops) were abusing us, were they not able to see the wrestlers are also Padma Shri (awardees)... It was not just me. Sakshi (Malik) was also there," Punia said.
READ | Wrestlers offer to return medals, honours; 'itni beizzati toh kar di'
Punia, Malik and Vinesh Phogat have led a determined protest against Brij Bhushan Singh over the past few months, and have accused him of intimidation and sexual assault. Singh - a BJP MP from Uttar Pradesh has denied all charges. He has been named in two FIRs by Delhi Police - both filed after the Supreme Court and chief justice DY Chandrachud intervened.
Meanwhile, Delhi Police has told the Supreme Court 'proper' security will be put in place for the wrestlers' safety, including a minor complainant.
