Delhi Anti-Encroachment Drive Near Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque Turns Violent, 5 Cops Injured

An anti-encroachment drive carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque at Ramlila Maidan in central Delhi turned violent in the early hours of Wednesday, leaving five police personnel injured, officials said.

The demolition, conducted on land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard at Turkman Gate, began around 1.30 am, hours before its scheduled start time of 8 am. Clashes erupted as local residents gathered at the site, prompting the police to use teargas shells to disperse the crowd.

In a statement, the Delhi Police said normalcy was restored shortly after the incident. “Stones were pelted at the police during the night. We used minimal force to push back the crowd. Apart from that, the overall process was very smooth,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Nidhin Valsan told ANI.

Valsan added that those involved in the violence would be identified and legal action would be taken after examining CCTV footage, ground visuals and body camera recordings.

Videos circulated among neighbourhood residents showed bulldozers and earth-movers demolishing parts of structures near the mosque while heavy police deployment remained in place to prevent further unrest.

Petition Against Demolition Drive

The demolition comes amid a legal challenge by the managing committee of Masjid Syed Elahi, which has filed a petition against the MCD’s decision to remove alleged encroachments from the land adjoining the mosque and graveyard at Ramlila Maidan.

On December 22, the MCD issued a notice stating that all structures beyond 0.195 acres were liable for demolition as part of an encroachment clearance drive. The civic body said no documentary proof had been submitted to establish ownership or lawful possession of the disputed land by the Delhi Waqf Board’s managing committee. The 0.195-acre parcel, according to the MCD, is the area on which the mosque stands.

The action follows a Delhi High Court order issued in November, which directed the MCD and the Delhi Public Works Department to clear 38,940 square feet of encroachments at Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate within three months.

Authorities said security has been tightened in the area to prevent further disturbances, while the situation remains under close watch.