Tensions briefly returned to Delhi’s Turkman Gate area on Wednesday as police registered an FIR and arrested five people over stone pelting during a court-ordered demolition drive near a mosque in Old Delhi. Reports earlier said 10 people had been detained.
Delhi Police said the FIR has been lodged against unknown persons. CCTV footage, body-worn camera recordings and ground visuals are being examined to establish individual roles, officials said.
The situation remains under control. Security deployment continues in the area.
The incident occurred near the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid in the Turkman Gate locality, close to Ramlila Maidan, where the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) began an anti-encroachment drive in the early hours of Wednesday, following directions of the Delhi High Court.
Stone pelting, injuries and police action
According to police, the demolition began around 1 am with a heavy deployment of civic and security personnel. During the operation, a section of the crowd gathered near the site and raised slogans. The protest later turned violent.
“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,” Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, told ANI.
At least five police personnel sustained minor injuries after stones were thrown at security teams.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Nidhin Valsan said police used minimal force to disperse the crowd. “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,” he said, adding that legal action will follow once identification is complete.
Tear gas shells were fired to prevent the unrest from spreading. The Rapid Action Force was later deployed as a precaution.
#WATCH | Delhi | Visuals from the area near Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, where MCD, pursuant to the directions of the Delhi High Court, carried out a demolition drive on an encroachment earlier today.
Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, says,… pic.twitter.com/sAVAsZwPfs
— ANI (@ANI) January 7, 2026
Why the demolition was carried out
Civic officials said the action was taken to remove unauthorised structures on land adjoining the mosque and nearby areas. The structure covered around 4,000 square metres.
Deputy Commissioner of the City SP Zone Vivek Agarwal said the demolition was conducted overnight in line with court orders.
“Thirty-two JCBs were used. We will try to clear the demolition waste. No one was hurt during the stone pelting. The police worked very well and controlled the situation,” he told ANI.
Authorities said around 17 bulldozers were deployed as part of the drive, which is part of MCD’s broader campaign against illegal encroachments across the city.
Police said the area had been divided into nine zones, each supervised by an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police. Sensitive points were secured in advance.
Before the operation, coordination meetings were held with members of the Aman Committee and local stakeholders to maintain peace, officials said.
Local reactions and legal context
Some residents opposed the demolition, citing community impact. A local resident told ANI, “The Barat Ghar was built later; earlier, there used to be a graveyard. The Barat Ghar should not have been built here.”
The demolition proceeded even as legal proceedings related to the site continue. On Tuesday, the Delhi High Court issued a notice on a petition filed by the managing committee of Masjid Syed Elahi, challenging the MCD’s move to clear alleged encroachments near the mosque and a nearby graveyard.
Delhi Police said adequate force will remain deployed until the demolition is completed. “Delhi Police remains committed to maintaining law and order while ensuring that all judicial directions are implemented in a lawful, professional and sensitive manner,” an official statement said.