No case of hate speech made out against protesting wrestlers: Delhi Police

Some of India’s top wrestlers protesting against sexual harassment didn’t make hate speeches or commit any cognisable offence during their sit-in at Jantar Mantar and therefore the court should dismiss pleas against them, Delhi Police told a local court on Friday.

Read here: Delhi cops take protesting wrestler to WFI chief Brij Bhushan's residence

This is the first submission by Delhi Police to a court after Union sports minister Anurag Thakur met wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, and promised to take back all cases registered against the players, who are demanding the arrest of former wrestling federation boss Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment and intimidation charges.

On Friday, police filed an action-taken report before the Patiala house court in response to a criminal complaint filed by an individual identified as Bam Bam Maharaj Nauhatiya seeking a First Information Report (FIR) against wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia, and Sakshi Malik for alleged hate speech and “false allegations” against Singh.

But the police cited a video the complainant provided and said the wrestlers did not raise slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi or make hate speeches at Jantar Mantar, and urged the court to dismiss Nauhatiya’s plea.

“From the contents of the complaint and video clip provided by the complainant, no cognisable offence of hate speech is made out. The protester wrestlers...are not seen raising any such slogan in this clip,” the report said.

The police said some unknown Sikh protestors were seen raising slogans against Modi at Jantar Mantar. The court listed the plea for further arguments on July 7.

It is unclear when the video was shot.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Bajrang Punia, Rio Games bronze medallist Sakshi Malik, and double World Championship medallist Vinesh Phogat are also facing charges of rioting and unlawful assembly filed by Delhi Police over their planned protest march to the new Parliament on May 28. The march was blocked and police manhandled the wrestlers, removing them from Jantar Mantar.

But on Wednesday, the wrestlers suspended their protest till June 15 after a six-hour-long meeting with Thakur on Wednesday, marking the first sign of resolution in the months-long deadlock in talks between the players and the government.

The wrestlers and the government agreed on a raft of issues, including withdrawal of all criminal cases against the wrestlers, setting up of an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) within Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) with a female chief, security for the complainants, removal of Singh and his associates from WFI, scrapping of cases against affiliated academies, coaches and athletes, and transparent elections to WFI by June 30.

Read here: Delhi Police takes wrestler complainant to WFI office, charge sheet likely next week

The meetings between Shah and Thakur and the players were a welcome development after months of logjam between the government and the wrestlers. And Delhi Police’s submission on Friday showed that the agreement for reconciliation stuck between the government and the protesters is intact.

Singh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) parliamentarian from Kaiserganj who has lorded over Indian wrestling for 12 years, is facing charges of sexual harassment of athletes, including at least one minor. Though he has been removed from WFI, which stands suspended, and two FIRs have been filed against him, he is yet to be arrested. In one of the FIRs, the minor complainant later withdrew her charges. Singh remains defiant and said he was ready to face any investigation.

In his complaint filed on May 24, Nauhatiya said slogans raised against Modi constituted hate speech and sought a high-level investigation. He added that allegations made against Singh were ”wrong and practically unfeasible” and that it was hard to believe that the wrestlers were harassed by a 66-year-old man.

On May 25, the court agreed to hear the matter and sought a report from Delhi Police. The complainant told the court that “hate speeches” made at Jantar Mantar against Modi and Singh prompted him to file two police complaints.

Read here: WFI polls may face hurdles from states

In the case against Singh, Delhi Police have said all the evidence – technical, digital and manual – were being thoroughly examined and that the probe was reaching its concluding stage. Police have recorded the statements of at least 200 people, including staff and associates of Singh.