Delhi demolition drive clashes: 6 more arrested in Turkman Gate stone-pelting; 11 held so far | Delhi News

NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have arrested six more people on Thursday in connection with the stone-pelting and clashes that erupted during a late-night MCD demolition drive near Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area, taking the total number of arrests to 11. The newly arrested accused have been identified as Afaan, Adil, Shahnawaz, Hamza, Atharr and Ubed, all residents of Turkman Gate. Police said they were involved in pelting stones at security personnel and were identified through CCTV footage and videos of the incident. Earlier on Wednesday, police had arrested five persons — Kashif, Mohd Kaif, Mohammad Areeb, Adnan and Sameer — residents of Chandni Mahal and Daryaganj, after scanning CCTV, bodycam footage and viral videos circulating on social media. The violence broke out around 1 am on Wednesday when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) began a demolition drive to remove alleged illegal constructions around Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque, following directions of the Delhi high court.Police said a crowd of around 150 people gathered at the site, and 30–35 individuals allegedly started stone-pelting shortly after the operation began, prompting police to use tear gas to control the situation. Five police personnel sustained injuries in the clashes. A senior officer said that prior to the demolition, discussions were held with local residents and they were informed about compliance with the court order. According to the FIR, a police team reached the spot around 12.40 am and set up barricades before the demolition commenced with around 17 bulldozers. Deputy commissioner of the city SP zone (CSPZ), Vivek Agarwal, said, “This matter had been pending in the high court for a long time. Action was taken after the high court’s order. This was approximately 36,400 square feet. There was a two-story wall surrounding it with a single-story structure built on top… The land owned by the mosque is safe. An adequate police force was provided. Senior police officers were also present at the site throughout the night. Our team was given complete security. There was an incident of stone-pelting at night, but the police were fully prepared. We used 32 JCBs, four excavators, pneumatic hammers, and several trucks. No member of our team was harmed.” Reacting to the incident, BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal said, “The action was taken following the orders of the high court. The entire action was taken as per law”. Delhi Police confirmed that an FIR has been registered against unknown persons and further arrests will follow after completion of identification and evidence collection. DCP Nidhin Valsan said, “The action started around 1 am. MCD conducted demolition as per the high court’s orders on the encroached land. Stones were pelted at the Police at night. We used minimal force to push back. Overall, the process was very smooth. Four to five officers suffered minor injuries.” Joint commissioner of police (central range) Madhur Verma added, “During the course of the demolition, a few miscreants attempted to create a disturbance by indulging in stone pelting. The situation was promptly brought under control through measured, minimal use of force, restoring normalcy without escalation.” Police said the situation in the area remains under control and adequate security arrangements are in place as the demolition drive continues in compliance with court orders.