The Delhi Police on Wednesday registered an FIR and detained several people in connection with violent clashes that erupted during an anti-encroachment drive near the Syed Faiz Elahi Mosque in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan area, in which some cops were also injured, said officials.
The police are also probing whether the violence, which involved pelting of stones and glass bottles by some people, was pre-planned and an attempt to disrupt the demolition drive, a police official said.
Senior police officers added that CCTV footage and video clips circulating on social media are being analysed to identify the miscreants and statements of witnesses and detained persons are also being recorded as part of the investigation.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out a High Court-mandated demolition on land adjoining the mosque and a nearby graveyard on Wednesday morning. An official of the MCD said the Syed Faiz Elahi Mosque was not damaged during the drive.
As part of the operation, around 30 bulldozers and 50 dumpers were deployed to clear encroachments and remove debris from the site, the civic body stated, adding that over 300 MCD workers and officials were engaged in the drive which continued through the night.
MCD’s Deputy Commissioner, Vivek Kumar, said the demolition drive saw around 36,000 square feet of encroached area cleared, which included one diagnostic centre, a marriage hall and two two-storey boundary walls.
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He said debris sufficient to fill around 200 to 250 vehicles is still lying at the site and will be removed as part of the ongoing clean-up operation, adding that the demolition took time as the structures were strongly built, with walls measuring around nine inches in thickness.
However, the eruption of clashes during the drive led the police to fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. While normalcy has been restored, law and order arrangements remain in place as a precautionary measure, they said.
“The situation is under control and normalcy has been restored,” a senior officer said, adding that strict legal action will be taken against those found involved in the violence.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range), Madhur Verma, said in a statement that comprehensive law and order arrangements were put in place by Delhi Police to ensure smooth conduct of the demolition drive and to maintain public order.
“The entire area was meticulously divided into nine zones, each placed under the supervision of an officer of the rank of Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police. Adequate deployment of police force was made at all sensitive points,” the Joint CP said.
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