An anti-encroachment drive in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh's Indira Nagar neighbourhood was attacked by a group of 150–200 illegal Bangladeshi settlers on December 29. With their sticks in hand, the mob attacked the squad, which was headed by Minakshi, the municipal supervisor. They harmed numerous officials as they chased them away.

The belongings of the staff, including a gold chain and mobile phones, were reportedly taken by the mob. This incident increased tensions in the area, prompting authorities to carry out a demolition drive. During the drive, they removed at least 50 illegal shanties (jhuggis) belonging to illegal Bangladeshi settlers. A case has been filed against the mob at the Indira Nagar Police Station. Around 7 AM, a team of municipal workers arrived at Zone 7, near the 'Ghode Wale Mandir,' to remove illegal handcarts. There had been complaints that some illegal Bangladeshi residents in the area were collecting waste without permission, causing unhygienic conditions. During the drive to clear the encroachments, several people opposed the action. Reports say that one woman at the site called for help, and within minutes, a group of 150-200 illegal Bangladeshi settlers, armed with sticks, gathered and attacked the municipal team.

A group of mobsters attacked supervisor Minakshi, tore her clothes, and snatched a gold chain from her neck. They also took the mobile phones of municipal staff members Shiv Balak and Deep Bhushan. The mobsters damaged vehicles and dragged and attacked inspector Vijeta Dwivedi's driver. The municipal workers barely managed to escape and reported the incident to senior officials. Mayor Sushma Kharkwal quickly took action and visited the site along with Joint Commissioner of Police Amit Verma and BJP MLA O.P. Srivastava. Upon noticing that the shanties had electricity connections, she called officials from the electricity department. She criticised them for allowing illegal power connections in the area, and the connections were promptly disconnected. 

Kharkwal said, “These Bangladeshi squatters have attacked municipal staff and engaged in criminal activities. How are they getting electricity connections? This negligence must be addressed immediately.” She added that even if her own administration were in control of the state, she would sit in protest if nothing was done to stop the illegal immigrants. She also gave the officials instructions to tear down any unauthorised buildings that the Bangladeshis had erected nearby. Speaking to media, JCP Law and Order of Lucknow, Amit Verma said, “The Municipal Corporation team was carrying out a campaign during which some people attacked their team. An FIR has been registered by the Municipal Corporation. The police will take action in this matter as soon as possible and strict action will be taken against those who are guilty in this…” 

By early afternoon, the municipal team arrived in the Indira Nagar area with a heavy police presence and demolished around 50 illegal shanties. The residents were seen packing their belongings and moving to other areas. Since the police were present, there was no resistance during the demolition. By early afternoon, the municipal team, with strong police protection, tore down about 50 illegal shanties in the Indira Nagar area. Residents were seen packing their belongings into vehicles and moving to different areas. Many of the people, said to be migrants from Bangladesh, worked in informal jobs like waste collection and household cleaning. After the attack on municipal staff members and workers, a formal complaint was filed by municipal officer Kuldeepak Singh at the Indira Nagar Police Station. An FIR has been registered under various sections of the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 191(2), 191(3), 121(1), 132, 115(2), 309(6), 324(4), 351(2), 131, 74, and 109, as well as Section 7 of the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1932. A copy of the FIR was accessed by OpIndia.

A mob, armed with sticks, attacked a municipal team, chasing and assaulting them. Supervisor Minakshi was singled out and had her clothes torn. They also snatched a gold chain from her neck. Two staff members had their mobile phones stolen. Kuldeepak informed the police that the vehicles of the municipal staff were damaged, and the driver of Vijeta Dwivedi’s vehicle was dragged out and badly beaten, seemingly with the intention of causing serious harm. Kuldeepak said the team narrowly avoided an attack, after which they immediately informed senior officials about the incident. The violent mob interrupted the anti-encroachment drive, causing chaos and fear at the location. He also mentioned that unauthorised waste collection and illegal electricity connections, supported by local authorities, were common in the area. The Uttar Pradesh Local Bodies Employees Association's president, Shashi Kumar Mishra, called for tough punishment for the attackers in order to stop future occurrences of the attack.