Three more held in Turkman Gate stone-pelting incident
Delhi Police on Saturday arrested three more accused in the stone-pelting incident near Turkman Gate, taking the total number of arrests so far to 16. The arrested persons were identified as Mohammad Naved (44), Mohammad Faiz (20) and Mohammad Ubaidullah (23).
According to police, they have arrested 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) so far in this case. Police said the accused were involved in pelting stones at policemen and were identified through CCTV footage and video clips circulated on social media platforms.
“On Friday night, we arrested three people involved in stone-pelting. So far, we have arrested 16 people. Further investigation is underway,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Central) Nidhin Valsan said. 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 for Friday prayers.
The 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.
As part of the investigation, the 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, Rizvi said 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 is a crime, which she did not support. The 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.
The role of a Samajwadi Party MP is also under scrutiny, the police said. “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.
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, the police said.
400 truckloads of debris cleared from demolition site
New Delhi: Three days after a court-ordered anti-encroachment drive triggered clashes and stone pelting near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque at Turkman Gate, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has cleared the site after removing more than 400 truckloads of debris from there.
Deputy Commissioner of the City SP Zone (CSPZ), Vivek Agarwal, said that at least 70 heavy-duty and dump trucks were deployed in the overall clearance exercise.
“We have cleared the majority of the debris… It’s complete,” he said, adding that the corporation used six gas cutters, 32 bulldozers, and multiple jackhammers in the whole exercise. Agarwal added that the debris has been taken to four waste processing facilities in Burari, Ranikhera, Shastri Park and Bakkarwala.
“At least 250 MCD staff were deployed in the exercise,” Agarwal said.
Both the masjid and mandir committees of the area supported the authorities in maintaining peace and carrying out the clearance exercise, officials said.
