Amid allegations of police personnel being drunk and using force against the protesting wrestlers at Jantar Mantar, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Pranav Tayal has denied these claims.
The late night incident resulted in a heated confrontation between the police and the grapplers. They have levelled sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran Singh and have been staging a sit-in at Jantar Mantar since April 23 demanding his arrest as well as ouster from the WFI post.
According to the DCP, during the late night scuffle on Wednesday five police personnel were injured while the wrestlers, on the other hand, have alleged that they were beaten up by the police and a couple of protesters were injured on the head.
"A sufficient number of women officers were on duty during the night. On medical examination, no police personnel was found to be drunk. Five police personnel sustained injuries during the scuffle. No force was used by the police against the protestors. Regarding an injury to one protester, he left the hospital against medical advice and has not given a statement to the police yet," said the DCP, in a tweet on Thursday.
Two wrestlers, Rahul Yadav and Dushyant Phogat, were allegedly injured during the incident, with Phogat suffering head injuries.
"As a precautionary measure, barricades have been erected at various locations across Delhi to prevent any further incidents," said the DCP.
On Wednesday night, Rajya Sabha MP Deepender Hooda and DCW chairperson Swati Maliwal were detained by the police when they arrived at the scene to offer support to the wrestlers.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)