Turkman Gate stone-pelting case: police arrest one more accused, probe intensifies

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): Delhi Police have arrested one more accused in connection with the violence that broke out during an anti-encroachment drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area. With this latest arrest, the total number of accused arrested in the case has risen to 12.

According to Delhi Police, the arrested person has been identified as Mohammad Imran alias Raju (36). Police stated that he was actively involved in stone-pelting and violent activities during the incident. He was taken into custody after sufficient evidence was collected. Earlier, police had arrested five accused on Wednesday and six more on Thursday.

As per official information, violence erupted when a municipal corporation team was carrying out an encroachment removal operation near the mosque. During the drive, miscreants began pelting stones. Several police personnel were injured in the incident, and government property was also damaged.

Delhi Police had earlier informed that around 30 individuals involved in the violence have been identified. The identification was done using CCTV footage, recordings from body-worn cameras of police personnel, and multiple viral videos from the area. Officials said that Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Mohibullah Nadvi will also be summoned for questioning, as he was allegedly present near the site before the violence erupted.

According to police, officers had requested the MP to stay away from the area, but he reportedly remained nearby before the incident. Delhi Police have also intensified the search for a YouTuber named Salman. He is accused of attempting to disturb peace through social media by allegedly urging locals to gather at the spot during the demolition drive.

Investigations have further revealed that some influential local figures allegedly used their WhatsApp groups to mobilise residents. Police stated that the intention was to create unrest during the operation and obstruct the work of the administration and law enforcement agencies.

The sequence of events mentioned in the FIR includes police barricading the encroached land, inflammatory slogans raised by a group of locals, and subsequent stone-pelting on police personnel. According to the FIR, at around 12:40 pm, when police began barricading the area, a group of 30–35 people gathered, started sloganeering, and attempted to stop the police from setting up barricades.