Violence broke out during a court-mandated anti-encroachment demolition drive near a mosque in Old Delhi’s Turkman Gate area, leading to the arrest of five people. The incident took place when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was carrying out a demolition drive on land adjoining the Syed Faiz Elahi mosque and a nearby graveyard. According to the Delhi Police, Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi was present at the site and allegedly incited the crowd during the operation.

The Delhi Police said that five accused have been arrested so far in connection with the violence. The investigation is ongoing, and police are also looking into the possibility of a larger conspiracy behind the incident. Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic), Madhur Verma, said, “Five accused have been arrested so far and the investigation into a larger conspiracy is underway. Action will be taken against all those who incited violence.”

During the demolition drive, five police personnel were injured after some people allegedly pelted stones and glass bottles at the police force. Violence erupted while MCD teams were removing unauthorised structures from the area. The encroachments included parts of a road, a footpath, a community hall, a parking area, and a private diagnostic centre.

Police officials identified several individuals who were allegedly involved in the stone-pelting. These include Adil Qasim, Mohammad Kaif, Mohammad Arib, Ujaif, Azim, and Irfan. Another accused, Adnan, along with Sameer, allegedly created and circulated videos and audio messages that went viral on WhatsApp, according to the police. These messages are believed to have contributed to the tension and unrest in the area.

The demolition drive began at around 1 am and was carried out to remove unauthorised structures, many of which were said to be around 100 years old. The action was taken following an order by the Delhi High Court. As per officials, the MCD’s decision was based on a November 12, 2025, order of a division bench of the High Court. The court had given three months to the MCD and the Public Works Department (PWD) to clear encroachments measuring around 38,940 square feet at the Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate.

Earlier, on January 4, MCD officials had visited the site to mark the encroached areas. However, they faced resistance from the local residents at that time, which led to increased police deployment in the area ahead of the demolition drive.

The Delhi Police also said that they are closely monitoring social media activity related to the incident. Officials stated that several videos and posts were allegedly circulated online to spread rumours and provoke people. According to police sources, many photos and videos accessed by India Today TV falsely claimed that the mosque was being demolished and urged people to gather at the site. Some posts appealed to users to share the content “as widely as possible,” while others included religious messages such as “May Allah protect you.”

Police particularly flagged a video made by Khalid Malik, which sparked controversy. An appeal was made in the video to the Muslims to come out of their homes in large numbers by spreading rumours that bulldozers were being used to demolish the mosque. According to the police, this video played a major role in creating tension in the area.

An MCD official later clarified that the Syed Faiz Elahi mosque was not damaged during the demolition drive. The demolition was limited to removing illegal encroachments from the surrounding land, as directed by the court.

Delhi minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa reacted to the incident and said that the encroachment removal was carried out strictly as per the court’s order. He stated, “It is the police’s responsibility to implement the court order.”

Earlier in the day, police had said that five people were detained for questioning and that CCTV footage from the area was being examined to identify those involved in the violence.

Security was tightened in the Turkman Gate area following the incident. According to MCD officials, over 300 MCD workers and officials were involved in the overnight demolition drive. Around 30 bulldozers and 50 dumpers were deployed to remove illegal structures and clear debris from the site.

The demolition resulted in the clearance of a large encroached area, including several structures that had been declared illegal by the court. Police officials said that law and order arrangements remain in place in the area as a precautionary measure. A senior officer said, “The situation is under control and normalcy has been restored.”

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police continue to examine the allegedly inflammatory videos and social media posts linked to the incident as part of their ongoing investigation.