5 cops injured as clashes erupt during demolition drive near Faiz-e-Elahi mosque at Turkman Gate in Delhi, 10 detained
A demolition drive by MCD in Delhi's Turkman Gate area turned violent after cops were pelted with stones by locals. The demolition drive was being carried out near a mosque in Delhi . The police said that they had taken proper measures and talked to a local organisation, Aman Committee to ensure a smooth demolition, but they failed.
This video is not available.
New Delhi: The Municipal Corporation of Delhi carried out an early-morning demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid at Turkman Gate. The mosque lies near the Ramlila Maidan. The MCD started demolition at around 1 am on Wednesday and it was carried out after an order by the Delhi High Court.
Elaborate security arrangements in place ahead of demolition drive
The Delhi Police had made elaborate security arrangements so that the demolition drive could be carried out smoothly. They had divided the area in 9 zones, each of which was assigned to an Additional Commissioner of Police. Police personnel were deployed at all sensitive points.
The MCD officials had brought in at least 17 bulldozers to carry out the demolition drive. The civic authority was acting on a Delhi High Court order passed in November 2025. The High Court had granted 3 months to the MCD to clear 38,940 sq. ft of encroachments, near the Ramlila Grounds.
The MCD then declared that all structures beyond 0.195 acres of land are liable to be demolished. These included parts of a road, a footpath, a "baarat ghar" (wedding venue), a parking lot and a diagnostic centre.
When MCD officials visited the area for inspection on January 4, they faced protests from locals. This led to police deployment for the day of the actual demolition drive.
Cops injured in clashes with locals
On the day of the demolition however, there were protests from the locals in the area. This despite the fact that the police and civic authorities had held multiple coordination meetings with the members of the Aman Committee and local stakeholders. These meetings were a part of confidence-building measures to maintain peace in the area.
However on the day of the demolitions, the MCD officials and police personnel were pelted with stones by the locals. At least 5 cops were injured in the incident. In response the police were forced to fire tear gas shells. The police have detained 10 people for their involvement in pelting stones at the police.
The police however claimed that they managed to restore order in the area, with "minimal use of force."
The police have filed the FIR against unknown individuals. Though they have managed to identify 4 to 5 perpetrators. They have been identified using body camera, drone footage and also CCTV in the area. The police are analyzing more than 100 videos to identify the stone pelters.