Turkman Gate violence: Police identify 30 stone-pelters, 400 new videos under probe

According to Delhi Police sources, a notice will be sent to to Mohibullah Nadvi, the Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur, to join the investigation.

Mohibullah Nadvi, the Samajwadi Party MP from Rampur, had arrived at the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque shortly before the stone-pelting incident at Turkman Gate. A video of Mohibullah Nadvi arguing with the police at the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque also went viral.

Violence erupts during an anti-encroachment drive

It should be noted that a violence erupted during an anti-encroachment drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan area early Wednesday, with some people pelting stones at police personnel, leaving five of them injured.

Police used mild force and teargas to quell the protest that broke out on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday and took five people, including a juvenile, into custody and also detained 10-15 others.

Police sources said the trouble broke out after a social media post claimed that the mosque was being demolished during the anti-encroachment drive.

Some pelted stones and glass bottles at police

Soon after, several people gathered there, and some pelted stones and glass bottles at the police and MCD workers. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), on the Delhi High Court's direction, was carrying out a demolition drive on land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard at Turkman Gate.

Some commercial establishments, including a diagnostic centre and banquet hall, were demolished during the drive, MCD Deputy Commissioner Vivek Kumar said while making it clear that no damage was caused to the mosque.

Around 100-150 people gathered while drive was underway

The police said when the drive was underway, around 100-150 people gathered at the site.While most of them dispersed after being persuaded, some created a ruckus and resorted to stone-pelting, resulting in injuries to five police personnel. They are probing whether the violence was spontaneous or a pre-planned attempt to disrupt the drive, the police said. The Delhi Police, in a statement, said that teargas was used to disperse the crowd, after which the situation was brought under control and normalcy restored.