Two more held in Turkman Gate stone-pelting incident; 13 arrests so far

New Delhi: The Delhi Police on Friday arrested two more persons accused in the Turkman Gate stone-pelting incident, taking the total number of arrests in the case to 13, while security personnel deployed in the area remained on high alert in view of Friday prayers, officials said.

"On Friday, we have arrested two people. So far, we have arrested 13 people. Further investigation is underway. Tight security measures will be maintained in the area," Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan told PTI.

The Delhi Police have so far arrested 13 people, identified as, Mohd Arib (25), Mohd Kashif (25), Mohd Kaif (23), Mohd Adnan (37), Sameer Hussain (40), Mohd Athar (20), Shahnawaz Alam (55), Mohd Imran (28), Mohd Imran alias Raju (36), Mohd Affan (20), Mohd Adil (20), Mohd Aamir Hamza (22) and Mohd Ubaidullah (26).

Police sources said at least 30 people offered Friday prayers at the same mosque. A large number of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in sensitive pockets to maintain law and order, while senior officers are supervising arrangements on the ground.

According to police, additional forces have been stationed near mosques and adjoining lanes, with pickets set up at strategic points to regulate movement and prevent any untoward incident.

Police are also conducting drone surveillance and extensive CCTV monitoring to keep a tight vigil in the area, officials said, adding that the situation is peaceful and under control.

Clarifying concerns related to Friday prayers, the ACP said no restrictions were imposed on any mosque.

"We have not put any restrictions on Friday prayers in any mosque. We have also checked the structural safety of the demolition site," he said, adding that prohibitory restrictions imposed earlier would be removed soon after normalcy is restored.

Another senior police officer said the security measures were purely precautionary.

"We have made adequate arrangements in view of Friday prayers. Our teams are maintaining strict vigil and are in constant touch with local community members to ensure peace. We have not even restricted the number of visitors to the mosque," the officer said.

As part of the investigation, police have identified 10 social media influencers for allegedly circulating misleading or unverified information related to the incident. Officials said one social media influencer, Aimen Rizvi, is yet to join the investigation despite being summoned.

Meanwhile, Aimen Rizvi told PTI that she has not received any summons from the police so far.

"The entire incident happened on January 6 around 12.30 am. I was attending a wedding and posted the video around 4 am. In the video, I did not ask anyone to mobilise near the mosque. I only shared information that something had happened in the vicinity of the mosque," she said.

Describing herself as a social worker, Rizvi said she had not been contacted by the police till now. "If I receive any summons or call, I will cooperate and join the investigation," she added.

She also said the police were present only to maintain law and order and asserted that pelting stones at police personnel was a crime, which she did not support.

Police said summons are yet to be sent to another influencer, Salman, whose role is being examined in connection with the circulation of certain messages on social media platforms.

Police said the role of a Samajwadi Party MP is under scrutiny.

"We are checking his role. We may send him a notice. All his statements are being scanned and examined as part of the probe," a senior officer said.

Police reiterated their appeal to the public to maintain peace and not pay heed to unverified information circulating on social media.

"People are requested to rely only on official information and cooperate with the authorities," the officer said. Police has also released a video where they can be seen pushing back stone-pelters by using tear gas shells.

Investigation into the stone-pelting incident is progressing on multiple fronts, including examination of digital evidence, identification of those involved in spreading misinformation, and questioning of suspects linked to the violence, police said.