Pre-dawn demolition near Turkman Gate mosque triggers tension in Old Delhi, 5 cops injured in stone-pelting

Municipal authorities, assisted by the police, began a demolition drive in the early hours of Wednesday to remove alleged encroachments near a century-old mosque in the Turkman Gate area of Old Delhi, triggering tension in the locality.

Four to five police personnel sustained minor injuries after stones were pelted during clashes, news agency ANI quoted police as saying.

The demolition by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was earlier scheduled to begin at 8 am, 7 January, but commenced at around 1.30 am, according to media reports.

At least 17 earth-movers were at the spot, according to media reports. Police said some people indulged in stone pelting but the situation was promptly brought under control through measured and 'minimal use' of force. Some reports suggested police resorted to tear gas shelling. LiveMint could not, however, verify the claims.

Minimal use of force: Police

Madhur Verma, Joint Commissioner of Police, Central Range, told news agency ANI that the demolitions were carried out pursuant to the directions of the Delhi High Court at the encroached area in the vicinity of Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, near Ramlila Maidan, Delhi.

“During the course of the demolition, a few miscreants attempted to create a disturbance by indulging in stone pelting. The situation was promptly brought under control through measured and minimal use of force, ensuring that normalcy was restored without escalation,” he said.

The demolition was carried out despite Delhi High Court on Tuesday issuing notice on a petition filed by the managing committee of Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid. The petition challenged the MCD decision to remove alleged encroachments from land adjoining the mosque and the graveyard at Ramlila Maidan.

Seeking quashing of the MCD order, the managing committee said the property in question is being used by it and it is paying lease rent to the waqf board.

The plea says the land is a notified waqf property governed by the Waqf Act and therefore, the Waqf Tribunal has an exclusive jurisdiction over all disputes relating to it.

A bench headed by Justice Amit Bansal noted that the matter required consideration, directed the MCD and the Land & Development Office (L&DO) to file their replies, and posted the matter for hearing on April 22.

Delhi Blast Suspect seen the mosque

Reportedly, suicide bomber Umar Un Nabi visited the 100-year-old mosque in Old Delhi and stayed there for more than 10 minutes before carrying out a high-intensity explosion near the Red Fort on November 10, 2025, that claimed 15 lives. The blast took place in a car.

On 22 December, 2025, the MCD issued a notice stating that all structures beyond 0.195 acres were liable to be demolished as part of an anti-encroachment drive, after concluding that no documentary evidence had been produced to establish ownership or lawful possession of the land by the mosque’s managing committee or the Delhi Waqf Board (DWB). The 0.195-acre parcel, officials clarified, includes the mosque structure.

The notice followed a 12 November, 2025 order of the Delhi High Court directing the MCD and the Public Works Department (PWD) to remove encroachments measuring 38,940 square feet at Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate.

In October 2025, a joint survey was conducted by the authorities, in which it was recorded that there were encroachments on the land, certain portions of which belonged to authorities, including the MCD, PWD and L&DO.

Following the notice, MCD officials visited the site to mark the encroached area on January 4, but faced resistance from locals, prompting increased police deployment.

(With agency inputs)