NEW DELHI: Top Indian wrestlers have alleged that they have been abused and assaulted by police in capital New Delhi, where they have been protesting since 23 April. Police said an altercation took place at the site but denied beating up anyone.
The wrestlers have demanded the arrest of their wrestling federation chief Brij Bhushan Singh, alleging he sexually abused athletes. He refuses the allegation. India’s top court will hear their plea seeking action against him on Thursday.
On Wednesday night, wrestlers told the press they were assaulted by the Delhi police trying to bring beds to the protest site. Wrestler Vinesh Phogat said during the press conference that “The place is filled with water, and there was no area to sleep; we thought of bringing the cots.”
Phogat alleged that a drunk cop assaulted her brother, and another shoved her. She said women police officers weren’t at the scene. Wrestler Geeta Phogat tweeted that her brother Dushyant was targeted in the head and another athlete was wounded.
A Press Trust of India news agency video showed Rio Olympics bronze medallist Sakshi Malik in tears as Vinesh Phogat consoled her during the chaos.
“The way they’ve made us suffer, I wouldn’t want any athlete to win the medal for the country,” Phogat told the media later. Bajrang Punia, the Olympics champion, has appealed to citizens to join their protest to protect “the dignity of daughters”.
A senior police official said that police rejected any official was drunk on site. “There’re a few men who tried bringing cots to the protest site,” and “When police asked them about it, they got aggressive and subsequently the protesters joined them.”
VIDEO | "The way they have made us suffer, I would not want any athlete to win a medal for the country," says wrestler Vinesh Phogat. pic.twitter.com/EpSk6dc3ZL
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 3, 2023
Somnath Bharti, the legislator of the Aam Aadmi Party, which governs Delhi, said he was detained by the police for demanding foldable cots for the wrestlers.
Protests by the wrestlers first started in January. Vinesh Phogat, a two-time international Championship medallist, alleged that at least ten women wrestlers had told her Singh, chief of the Wrestling Federation Of India, had sexually exploited them.
Singh is an influential lawmaker and politician from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. He and the Wrestling Federation Of India have denied the allegations.
The wrestlers called off their protests after the central government assured them of action and asked Singh to step aside for some weeks. The Indian Olympic Association set up a committee to investigate the allegations against Singh. But the wrestlers resumed their protests on April 23, saying they would not budge until Singh was arrested.
We want justice. #WrestlersProtest#sexualharassment pic.twitter.com/HOKMUjccsi
— Vinesh Phogat (@Phogat_Vinesh) April 24, 2023
