Debris being removed from the site during an anti-encroachment drive carried out by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Ramlila Maidan area, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Hours after at least five police personnel were injured after an anti-encroachment drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan area turned violent early on Wednesday, the area adjoining the Maidan and the historic Turkman Gate were in a lockdown with heavy police presence. Clashes erupted Tuesday night after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi carried out a demolition drive on encroached properties in the area.
The drive started at 1am on Tuesday night, after an order by the Delhi High Court. On December 22, the MCD had issued a notice stating that any structures exceeding 0.195 acres in the encroached land will be demolished. Consequently, the managing committee of Masjid Syed Elahi filed a petition, challenging the MCD order. On January 6, the Delhi HC upheld the MCD decision.
As soon as the drive started, around 35-40 individuals came out from the lanes and started pelting stones at the police personnel and the demolition vehicles. The police used force like tear gas to stop the violence, resulting in five policemen, including an SHO, getting injured. An FIR was filed, and five people have been detained.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma said that the police has filed cases under several sections of the BNS. “We are gathering more evidence with the help of the body-borne cameras worn by Delhi Police personnel and videography from the spot,” Verma said.
The Turkman Gate is one of the 14 main gates of Shahjahanabad, the Mughal empire.
Sarim, a college student living in the area, said that residents heard a commotion in the middele of the night. “I could see from my room that a crowd had gathered and the police had brought in their JCBs. It was complete lockdown once the issue resolved,” he said, adding that he skipped college.
Faiz, the owner of a juice-shop, said that he was unable to even step out to fetch milk for his children. Another resident, Fatima, who was seen leaving with her two young children said that she will stay at her mother’s place in Jamia Nagar for a few days. “I requested the police and they let me come; we felt it is wise to leave in case something goes awry. My husband is staying back,” she said.
Demolition carried on till late Wednesday, with the MCD clearing up space around the mosque. The encroachments on the Ramlila Maidan include a Markaz complex, a barat ghat (banquet hall), a dialysis centre as well as a diagnostic centre. A survey by the MCD in October last year had revealed that over 36,000 sq ft area of the Ramlila Maidan was encroached upon.