Men who pelted stones near Delhi mosque during demolition drive caught on camera

The Delhi Police have identified 30 persons in connection with the stone-pelting during the demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque in Turkman Gate early on Wednesday.

Photographs of those allegedly involved in the incident were released by the police on Thursday, a day after clashes erupted in the area during the drive, leaving five cops injured.

The photographs, obtained from CCTV cameras and video footage during the incident, show masked men in the area. Police teams are conducting raids to take the persons identified into custody, ANI news agency reported.

The demolition drive was started on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, after a high court order on removing encroachments around the century-old mosque.

Ahead of the drive, a crowd gathered at the site, with some persons hurling stones. Following this, police used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, and detained five persons in connection with the incident on Wednesday. T

The police registered a case under sections of the BNS, with Joint Commissioner of Police (Central Range) Madhur Verma saying more evidence was being collected with the help of the body-borne cameras worn by Delhi Police personnel and videography from the spot. DCP Nidhin Valsan said police had used “minimal force”, adding that legal action would be taken against those involved in stone-pelting.

The Delhi HC had, on Tuesday, issued a notice to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and other concerned parties in a petition by the managing committee of Masjid Syed Elahi challenging MCD's decision to remove the encroachments.

Following this, 32 bulldozers were deployed at the site, in the presence of MCD officials. Security was tightened, with nine additional commissioners of police, 25 assistant commissioners in nine zones, about 800 personnel from local police, and 10 companies of paramilitary forces brought in the area, according to police.