Delhi: 3 more arrested in Turkman Gate stone-pelting incident; 16 arrests so far

On January 7, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out an overnight anti-encroachment drive around the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque.

Delhi Police on Friday night arrested three more people for allegedly pelting stones at policemen during a demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque in central Delhi’s Turkman Gate earlier this week. The total number of arrests in the case has now risen to 16, police said on Saturday.

Police said they were arrested late on Friday night after being identified through video footage. (Sanchit Khanna/Hindustan Times)

The three held on Saturday are Mohammed Naved, 44; Mohammed Faiz, 20; and Mohammad Ubaidullah, 23, all residents of the Turkman Gate area. Police said they were arrested late on Friday night after being identified through video footage.

On January 7, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out an overnight anti-encroachment drive around the Faiz-e-Ilahi mosque. Following an order by the Delhi High Court, 32 bulldozers were put in action to remove the alleged encroached structures outside the mosque, including a private diagnostic centre locally known as a charitable dispensary, and a banquet hall.

Police said an FIR was registered on Wednesday on charges of rioting and unlawful assembly after a group of locals allegedly pelted stones at the police personnel deployed at the site. Police used tear gas shells to control the crowd and five people were arrested on the first day, followed by six more on Thursday. Two more arrests were made on Friday.

Investigators also said they had identified at least 10 social media creators for allegedly circulating false and inflammatory content related to the demolition.