Sunil Chhetri, Neeraj Chopra, Irfan Pathan react to Delhi Police's treatment of protesting wrestlers

Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat were among the many detained on Sunday, May 28, as they were marching towards the new Parliament building in New Delhi. The international wrestlers, a number of whom have won the highest honours for their country in the Commonwealth and Asian Games, were dragged away and put into vans by Delhi Police as they were going towards the new building that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described as a "cradle of empowerment, igniting dreams and nurturing them into reality."

On May 27, the night before this incident became a rage on social media, representatives of the wrestlers had a meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah to try and forge out a solution. However, according to a report by the New Indian Express, a solution could not be reached since the wrestlers demanded the immediate arrest of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief.

Read | Wrestlers will be allowed to protest at any suitable place other than Jantar Mantar: Delhi Police

A video in which cops are seen apprehending the wrestlers has gone viral on social media. Reacting to the same, many athletes have voiced their support for the detained wrestlers on their official social media accounts.

Sakshi Malik herself posted a video on her Twitter account of their detention, quoting, “This is how our champions are being treated. The world was watching us!”

Athletes like Neeraj Chopra (Olympic Gold medalist in javelin throw), Murali Sreeshankar (long jumper), and Sunil Chhetri (captain of Indian football team) have reacted on the detention of India’s top wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajranj Puniya, and Vinesh Phogat.

Tweeting about the issue, Neeraj Chopra said, “This video saddens me. There has to be a better way to deal with this.” Kapil Dev had also put a picture of the wrestlers on his Instagram story, showing his support to them by saying, “Will they ever get justice?”

Expressing his concerns over the issue, Murali Sreeshankar quotes, “Absolutely barbaric!! Our champions didn’t deserve this. As an athlete who dreams and works towards Olympic glory, this picture would leave a very deep wound.” However, he now appears to have deleted his tweet.

Speaking on the incident, Sunil Chhetri, the Indian football team captain, tweeted, “Why does it have to come down to our wrestlers being dragged around without any considerations? This isn’t a way to treat anyone. I really hope this whole situation is assessed the way it should be.”

Ex-Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan wasn’t happy about the incident and had also reacted to the visuals of the protest, saying, “I’m so sad to see the visuals of our Athletes…..Please solve this ASAP.”

The wrestlers had planned to march to the location of the new Parliament building. The strategy was timed to the building’s inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The wrestlers, who had been sitting in protest at Jantar Mantar since April 24, were allowed to move out of the area. However, as soon as they stepped beyond the security barriers enclosing the protest area, police apprehended them.

Read | Wrestlers' protest: FIR against organisers, others on charges of rioting, obstructing public servant

The Delhi Police attempted to halt the wrestlers, and the latter were only able to march as far as the end of the Jantar Mantar Road due to Section 144 (prohibition of public gathering in a public jurisdiction), which was in force in New Delhi to avoid disruption to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. The wrestlers were held in front of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh’s residence, a Sportstar report revealed.

FIRs against the wrestlers have been filed under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), an official said. Section 352 (assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation), 147 (rioting), and 149 (unlawful assembly) of the IPC and Section 3 (mischief causing damage to public property) of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act have also been invoked, he added.