IPL player Vikas Tokas accuses Delhi police of assaulting him for not wearing mask, police term allegations baseless
Jan 29, 2022
New Delhi [India], January 29 : Indian Premier League (IPL) player Vikas Tokas on Friday has alleged that Delhi police personnel assaulted him for refusing to pay a fine for not putting on a mask inside his car that left him injured near his eye.
However, the police termed the allegations as "baseless" saying that the bowler sustained injuries during their attempt to bring him to the police station.
The incident took place on Wednesday at Delhi's Bhikaji Cama Place area when Vikas was stopped at a barricade.
Speaking to ANI, Vikas said, "I was going from the house of a fellow cricket player to my house in Mohammadpur around 12 noon on January 26. The police personnel who were standing near the barricades outside the Mohammadpur village stopped me. I was not wearing a mask then. The police personnel demanded Rs 2,000 from me."
He said that he admitted his mistake for not wearing the mask. He alleged that when he refused to pay the fine, the police personnel assaulted him.
Vikas further said that they took him to the police station.
"On Jan 26, some police personnel stopped my car and asked for Rs 2000 alleging that I wasn't wearing a mask. When I countered them they sat inside my car, abused me. One of them was Puran Meena who punched me. They took me to the Police station alleging that I was fleeing with a rifle," he added.
He alleged that one policeman Pooran Meena assaulted him on the way and also threatened to implicate him in a false case.
DCP South West Gaurav Sharma called the allegations baseless and said that Vikas tried to escape when a fine was charged to him and thus sustained an injury during the attempt to bring him to the police station.
"On Republic Day2022, Vikas Tokas was stopped for checking and was not wearing a mask in a public place but instead of cooperating, he arrogantly started misbehaving, asking how a constable rank official dared to stop a national-level cricket player," he said.
"When the police personnel asked him to put on the mask at the barricade and tried to fine him. He arrogantly started misbehaving, asking how a constable rank official dared to stop a national-level cricket player.
When asked to come to the Police station, he tried to drive away. Police stopped the car and in a scuffle, he was accidentally hit near the eye. He was taken to Police station, where he and his father-in-law gave an apology in writing; was set free but is now making false complaints," he added.
"No police personnel assaulted him," Sharma told ANI.
DCP Gaurav Sharma said that when Vikas was brought to the police station, his father-in-law, who was himself a former sub-inspector in Delhi Police, also apologized in writing, after which Vikas was released.