At least five police personnel sustained minor injuries during a pre-dawn demolition operation near a historic mosque in Old Delhi's Turkman Gate area on Wednesday. The incident occurred when stones were pelted at officials as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out an anti-encroachment drive following court orders.
Demolition Drive Sparks Pre-Dawn Clashes
The demolition, which was originally scheduled to begin at 8 am on January 7, commenced unexpectedly around 1:30 am. Authorities deployed significant resources for the operation, including at least 17 earth-movers and a large contingent of police and administrative vehicles. The MCD action targeted alleged encroachments on land adjoining the century-old Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid and a graveyard at Ramlila Maidan.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan stated that the action was conducted as per High Court orders. "Stones were pelted at the Police at night. We used minimal force to push back. Four to five officers suffered minor injuries," Valsan told ANI. He added that authorities would review CCTV, ground, and body camera footage to identify perpetrators for legal action.
Police Response and Legal Context
Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma explained that comprehensive law and order arrangements were in place, with the area divided into nine zones supervised by senior officers. "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 and minimal use of force," Verma said in an official statement.
The demolition proceeded despite the Delhi High Court issuing a notice on Tuesday on a petition filed by the mosque's managing committee. The petition challenged the MCD's decision to remove the alleged encroachments. A bench headed by Justice Amit Bansal directed the MCD and Land & Development Office to file replies, scheduling the next hearing for April 22.
Deputy Commissioner of the City SP Zone, Vivek Agarwal, provided details of the operation: "The action was carried out overnight; the structure spanned 4,000 square metres, and 32 JCBs were used to demolish it." He confirmed that no one was hurt during the stone pelting and praised police for controlling the situation.
Background and Security Concerns
The MCD's action followed a notice issued on December 22, 2025, stating that all structures beyond 0.195 acres were liable for demolition. Officials clarified this parcel includes the mosque structure itself. This notice was based on a Delhi High Court order from November 12, 2025, directing the removal of encroachments measuring 38,940 square feet at Ramlila Ground.
The location has previously been in the news for security reasons. Reports indicate that suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi, the suspect in a November 2025 car blast near the Red Fort that claimed 15 lives, had visited this mosque for over ten minutes before the attack.
Police officials confirmed that the situation in the Turkman Gate area is now under control, with adequate security arrangements remaining in place. They stated that ten people have been detained in connection with the incident, and an FIR has been registered. Coordination meetings with local stakeholders, including the Aman Committee, were held prior to the drive to maintain peace.
