Clashes During Demolition Near Delhi Mosque Injure 5 Officers

At least five police officers sustained minor injuries during clashes that erupted early Wednesday morning when a crowd pelted stones at authorities during a court-ordered demolition drive near the Faiz Elahi Mosque in Delhi's Turkman Gate area, close to Ramlila Maidan.

The operation, carried out by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi with heavy police support, targeted alleged encroachments on land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard. It began around 1 a.m. on January 7, involving up to 30 bulldozers and about 300 municipal workers to remove structures identified as illegal, including a dispensary and a community hall. Officials emphasized that the mosque itself, situated within a designated 0.19-acre parcel, remained undamaged. The drive followed a November 12, 2025, directive from the Delhi High Court, which ordered the civic body and the Public Works Department to clear 38,940 square feet of encroachments in the area. A subsequent December 22 notice from the corporation declared structures beyond the protected land as unlawful, citing a lack of ownership documentation from the mosque's managing committee or the Delhi Waqf Board.

As demolition machinery arrived,...