New Delhi: A pre-dawn demolition operation by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) near the Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid in the Turkman Gate – Ramlila Maidan area of Old Delhi escalated into clashes with local residents early Wednesday, leaving several police personnel injured and triggering law-and-order tensions in the neighbourhood, according to reports.
Delhi Police are using CCTV and body camera footage and have already identified 4–5 individuals, reported India Today. Police have taken six into custody, the report claims.
The demolition drive, aimed at removing alleged illegal encroachments adjoining the mosque and its graveyard, was carried out around 1:30 am.
A heavy security deployment, including police units and civil machinery such as bulldozers and JCBs, was present during the operation.
As civic workers began removing unauthorized structures — including a banquet hall and a dispensary — groups of people gathered and resisted the action, with some reportedly pelting stones at police teams. Normalcy was restored later in the morning after tensions subsided. At least five police officers were injured in the clashes, reports claimed.
“About 25-30 people threw stones at police teams, in which five policemen sustained minor injuries. We had to use tear gas to control the situation. There was a banquet hall and a dispensary, which have been demolished. The drive was conducted in the night, keeping in mind that people should not face any difficulty,” senior police officer Nidhin Valsan told NDTV.
A first information report (FIR) was registered in connection with stone-pelting, and five people were detained by police as the situation came under control.
The demolition drive followed a notice issued on December 22, by the MCD stating that structures beyond 0.195 acres of land adjoining the mosque were liable to be cleared as part of an anti-encroachment operation. The 0.195 acres referred to in the notice houses the mosque structure.
The MCD’s action was in compliance with a Delhi High Court order, which had directed the civic body and the Public Works Department (PWD) to clear 38,940 square feet of encroachments near the Ramlila Ground adjacent to Turkman Gate within three months.
The managing committee of Masjid Syed Faiz-e-Elahi had filed a petition challenging the demolition, arguing that there was no documentary proof establishing lawful possession or ownership of the adjoining land by the mosque or the Delhi Waqf Board.
The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the relevant authorities on the petition, noting that the matter requires consideration, and listed it for further hearing in April 2026.
Video footage and reports circulating among residents showed the demolition machinery at work through the night, with police personnel present to maintain order.
Residents and shopkeepers in nearby markets said they were awakened around midnight and remained close to the site throughout the operation.
