Stone pelting on police during demolition near Delhi mosque injures 5 cops, tear gas fired; 10 held

Violence erupted in the heart of Old Delhi during the early hours of Wednesday as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) initiated a pre-dawn demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque. Starting at around 1:00 AM, the drive targeted century-old unauthorized structures following an order from the Delhi High Court. However, the operation faced stiff resistance from local residents, who attempted to break through police barricades and pelted stones at the personnel overseeing the site.

The situation escalated quickly, forcing the police to resort to firing tear gas shells to disperse the agitated mob. According to official reports, four to five police officers sustained minor injuries during the stone-pelting. Despite the chaos, the MCD proceeded with the operation, deploying 17 bulldozers to clear the encroachments adjacent to the mosque and the Ramlila Maidan graveyard.

The demolition took place despite a fresh legal development on Tuesday, where the Delhi High Court had issued a notice on a petition filed by the mosque's managing committee. The committee had challenged the MCD’s categorization of these structures as encroachments. However, since no stay order was granted by the court, authorities moved forward with the heavy-duty machinery to implement the previous judicial directives.

As of Wednesday morning, at least 10 individuals have been detained for their involvement in the violence. An FIR has been registered, and the Delhi Police are using CCTV and body-camera footage to identify others involved in the assault on law enforcement. The Turkman Gate area remains under heavy security cover to prevent any further flare-ups, while the clearing of debris continues under police protection.