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

PTI

New Delhi, May 29

A day after the Delhi Police cleared the sit-in site of the protesting wrestlers, the security force on Monday said they would be allowed to demonstrate at a suitable place in the city other than Jantar Mantar.    

"The demonstration by the wrestlers was going on smoothly at the notified place of Jantar Mantar. On Sunday, the protestors flouted the law, ignoring our repeated requests. Hence, we cleared the site and ended the dharna," the Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) tweeted in Hindi.

“If the wrestlers apply for permission to stage their sit-in again in future, they will be allowed to do so at any suitable notified place other than Jantar Mantar,” it said. 

Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat, Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia along with other protesters were booked for rioting and obstructing public servant in discharge of duty on Sunday after a scuffle with security personnel who tried to stop them from marching to the new Parliament building as it was being inaugurated. Soon after, the Delhi Police cleared the site of their over-month-long sit-in at Jantar Mantar and said they would not be allowed to return there. 

The police said 700 people were detained across the national capital. As many as 109 protesters, including the three wrestlers, were detained at Jantar Mantar. Women detainees were released later in the evening on Sunday.