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Delhi’s Turkman Gate erupts in chaos! 11 arrested after stone-pelting during demolition near Faiz-e-Elahi mosque. Was it spontaneous or planned? Police also summon YouTuber for incitement- here’s what happened.
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New Delhi: Delhi Police today arrested six additional suspects in connection with the stone-pelting incident that occurred at Turkman Gate during a demolition drive on Wednesday. With these arrests, the total number of accused in custody has risen to 11.
Meanwhile, the police plan to issue a notice to YouTuber Salman for questioning, as he is alleged to have incited people to engage in stone-pelting during the anti-encroachment operation.
The demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan area resumed on Thursday, a day after violent clashes erupted during the operation. The unrest began late Tuesday night following a social media post claiming that the mosque was being demolished.
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Earlier, five people, including a juvenile, were arrested for their involvement in the stone-pelting incident. Police used mild force and teargas to disperse the crowd, which had gathered in large numbers, reportedly around 100-150 people. Most of the crowd dispersed after persuasion, but some engaged in stone-pelting and threw glass bottles at police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) workers. Five police personnel sustained minor injuries in the clash.
The demolition drive, carried out by the MCD on land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard, was conducted under the direction of the Delhi High Court. Several commercial establishments, including a diagnostic centre and a banquet hall, were demolished, while the mosque remained untouched, MCD Deputy Commissioner Vivek Kumar confirmed.
Delhi Police are investigating whether the violence was spontaneous or a pre-planned attempt to disrupt the demolition operation. CCTV footage and videos circulating on social media are being analysed to identify additional suspects. The five previously arrested individuals have been identified as Mohd Arib (25), Mohd Kaif (23), Mohd Kashif (25), Mohd Hamid (30), and a 17-year-old boy.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan stated that the MCD had scheduled the demolition for the intervening night of January 6–7 and had informed the police in advance, requesting deployment to maintain law and order.
The situation has since been brought under control, and normalcy restored in the area.
