Violence Erupts in Delhi's Turkman Gate Following Anti-Encroachment Drive: Latest Arrests

Clashes Erupt After Court-Ordered Action

New Delhi: Following a court-mandated anti-encroachment operation that led to unrest in the Turkman Gate area of central Delhi, authorities have made six additional arrests linked to the violence, which resulted in injuries to police officers.

With these latest arrests, the total number of individuals detained has reached 11, including one minor.

The individuals apprehended on Thursday have been named as Afaan, Adil, Shahnawaz, Hamza, Atharr, and Ubed, all of whom reside in the Turkman Gate vicinity.

According to Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan, "We have detained six more individuals, bringing the total to 11, including one juvenile."

He assured that a sufficient number of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in the area to ensure public safety and prevent further incidents.

The situation is being closely monitored by law enforcement, he added.

The anti-encroachment initiative, which took place near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in the Ramlila Maidan area during the night of Tuesday into Wednesday, sparked violence as crowds began throwing stones at police, injuring five officers, including the station house officer.

The unrest was reportedly incited by a social media post alleging that the mosque, located across from Turkman Gate, was being demolished, prompting a gathering of people, according to police sources.

It is estimated that between 150 to 200 individuals participated in the stone-pelting and throwing of glass bottles at police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) workers.

MCD Deputy Commissioner Kumar Kumar stated that approximately 36,000 square feet of encroached land was cleared during the operation, which included the demolition of a diagnostic center, a banquet hall, and two boundary walls. He emphasized that the mosque itself was not harmed.