Violence erupted in Central Delhi's Turkman Gate area in the early hours of Wednesday following a municipal demolition drive near a historic mosque, leading to the arrest of five men. Their families, however, have come forward with claims that challenge the police narrative, stating the arrested individuals were simply out on late-night errands for groceries and medicine when they were detained.
Midnight Demolition Sparks Clashes
The incident unfolded after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) moved in with bulldozers post midnight on Tuesday to raze what it termed illegal encroachments on public land adjoining the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque. This action came after the Delhi High Court declined a plea for an interim stay on the proposed demolition.
Officials reported that about half an hour after the bulldozers began work, violence broke out. A crowd of approximately 30-35 people gathered at the site, raising slogans and throwing stones at the authorities. Police responded to disperse the crowd, leading to the subsequent arrest of five individuals in connection with the unrest.
Families Narrate a Different Sequence of Events
Speaking to the media, the families of those arrested painted a contrasting picture of the night's events, insisting their relatives were not part of the violent mob.
Mohammad Areeb, who runs a café near Jama Masjid, was arrested while returning home. His elder sister stated that Areeb had closed his café around 2:30 am and was on his way back to pick up milk and groceries. "He called me twice, once at 2:45 am and again around 2:50 am, telling me he would be home in a few minutes," she said. His elder brother, who runs the café with him, confirmed they left together at 2:30 am, with Areeb staying back briefly for shopping.
In another account from Chandni Mahal, the family of an arrested man named Sameer claimed he was asleep at home. His younger sister alleged, "He had attended a wedding and returned around 11:30 pm… He went to bed. Around 2:30 am, police banged on our door… and took him away." She claimed his only fault was sharing a video online that asked people to gather near the mosque.
Errand for Medicine Leads to Arrest, Claims Uncle
Perhaps the most poignant account comes from Gali Gariyan, where two brothers, Mohammad Kashif and Mohammad Kaif, were apprehended. Their uncle, Aadib, described a scene of chaos with tear gas in the air as police worked to disperse the crowd.
He insisted the brothers had an innocent reason for being outside at that hour. "The brothers had gone out to get medicine for their mother because she was coughing. They were picked up by the police then…," Aadib alleged. The families spent Wednesday waiting anxiously outside the Turkman Gate police station, seeking information and the release of their kin.
The demolition and the subsequent arrests have heightened tensions in the area, bringing into focus the volatile nature of late-night civic actions and the conflicting stories that emerge in their aftermath. The police are investigating the violence, while the families demand justice for what they call the wrongful detention of their family members.
