Delhi Police may withdraw FIR against protesting wrestlers: Report
The Delhi Police plans to withdraw the FIR that was registered against the protesting wrestlers on May 28, several media reports have said.
The wrestlers who have been demanding action against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhusan Sharan Singh based on complaints of sexual abuse of women wrestlers against him, had attempted to march from Jantar Mantar to the new Parliament complex on its day of inauguration on May 28. During the protest, the wrestlers were arrested by the police and an FIR under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was registered against them, including Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia, and Vinesh Phogat.
Also read: Wrestlers suspend protest after 5-hour meeting with Anurag Thakur
It was reported on Thursday (June 15) that the Delhi Police were sending a request to the government for the withdrawal of FIR registered against wrestlers. After the government’s approval, the FIR against wrestlers would be withdrawn.
Delhi Police are sending a request to the government for the withdrawal of FIR registered against wrestlers. After govt's approval, the FIR against wrestlers will be withdrawn
FIR was registered for rioting and under other sections, on the day of the inauguration of the new…
— ANI (@ANI) June 15, 2023
When the FIR was registered against them on May 28, Vinesh Phogat in a tweet said, “A new history is being written. The Delhi Police takes seven days to file an FIR against Brij Bhushan for sexual harassment but did not take even seven hours to file an FIR against us for carrying out a peaceful protest. Has the country slipped into a dictatorship? The entire world is watching how the government is treating its players.”
The IPC sections under which the wrestlers were charged included rioting, unlawful assembly, obstructing a public servant from discharging duty, disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, and criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty.
(With inputs from agencies)
