FCC elections put off after clash between candidates

A minor scuffle broke out at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) on Friday night ahead of the annual general meeting and elections, leaving one candidate injured while the other was ‘bound down’ by the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla said a PCR call was received around 11 pm at the Tilak Marg police station regarding a quarrel at AB-19, Mathura Road. Responding to the call, police reached the spot and found club members Munish Gupta and Deepak Dwivedi. Gupta told the police that as he and Dwivedi were leaving the club, they saw Pankaj Yadav, another club member, along with another person.

According to Gupta, Yadav obstructed, abused, and slapped him, threatening him with dire consequences if he returned to the club. The officer said Gupta was later taken to a hospital where his medical examination was conducted.

Based on his complaint, the police registered an FIR under Sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and launched an investigation. Yadav was subsequently interrogated and ‘bound down’ in the case.

In response to the incident, FCC president S Venkat Narayan announced the postponement of the elections, owing to the “ugly and unsavoury incident” involving two candidates for the office-bearers’ posts.

“In light of this unfortunate incident, several members have suggested that the environment is not conducive to holding the AGM and elections as scheduled. Therefore, the elections have been postponed to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful process,” the statement read. A new date for the elections will be announced soon.