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New Delhi, 8 January. Delhi Police on Thursday said they have identified 30 people involved in the violence that broke out during the Municipal Corporation’s encroachment removal operation near Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in Turkman Gate area. This identification has been done on the basis of CCTV footage, body-worn camera recordings of policemen and viral videos of the area. Police officials said that Samajwadi Party MP Mohibullah Nadvi will soon be summoned to join the investigation as it is alleged that he was present at the spot before the violence started.

According to Delhi Police, senior officials had requested the MP to stay away from the spot, but he remained near the area before the incident. Meanwhile, Delhi Police has so far arrested five people in connection with the stone pelting incident that took place during the encroachment removal operation near the mosque. Several police teams have been formed, and raids are being conducted to detain the identified people.

The copy of the FIR obtained by the news agency records the entire sequence of events, from police barricading the encroached land to a dozen local people raising inflammatory slogans and then throwing stones at the policemen. The policemen were trying to convince the local people that the demolition drive was limited only to illegal constructions and eviction of illegally occupied government land and there would be no damage to the nearby mosque.

According to the FIR, at around 12:40 am, when the policemen started barricading the area, a group of 30-35 people gathered at the spot and started raising slogans and trying to stop the police from imposing the blockade. The unruly elements were told not to assemble at the spot as Section 163 of the Indian Judicial Code (BNS) (which applies in cases of nuisance or probable danger) was in force and they should disperse quickly, but instead of relenting, the crowd became more aggressive. The crowd increased their sloganeering and started throwing stones at the policemen.

Videos of stones being thrown at policemen and barricades being damaged by the mob surfaced on social media, leading to anger among a section of netizens over the direct attack on policemen on duty. The FIR said one of the protesters snatched a loudspeaker and broke it. They not only stopped and attacked the policemen on duty, but also broke loudspeaker-barricades and attacked the policemen with stones.

Some policemen, including the SHO, were injured in the attack and were later admitted to LNJP Hospital. It was only after additional forces were called that the violent protesters were pushed back and illegal structures surrounding the religious structure were demolished. The five accused named in the FIR have been identified as Mohammad Shahnawaz, Mohammad Arib, Mohammad Kasif, Mohammad Adnan and Mohammad Kaif – all of them are said to be residents of Chandni Mahal area.