New Delhi: An anti-encroachment drive near a mosque in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan turned violent on early Wednesday (January 7) morning, resulting in five police personnel sustaining injuries. The confrontation took place as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was carrying out a demolition drive at what it termed as an encroached area in the vicinity of Faiz-e-Elahi Masjid, Turkman Gate, near Ramlila Maidan.“During the course of the demolition, a few miscreants attempted to create a disturbance by indulging in stone pelting. The situation was promptly brought under control through measured and minimal use of force, ensuring that normalcy was restored without escalation,” Madhur Verma, joint commissioner of police, central range, said in an official statement, reported The Hindu.The administration had brought in around 17 bulldozers to remove the unauthorised structures in the area. Authorities said that before the demolition drive several coordination meetings were held with members of the Aman Committee and other local stakeholders to prevent any untoward incident.Earlier, while hearing a plea filed by the managing committee of the Masjid Syed Faiz Elahi challenging an order issued by authorities to remove alleged encroachments from a land adjoining the Syed Faiz Elahi mosque and graveyard at Turkman Gate, the Delhi high court, on Tuesday had sought the responses of the Ministry of Urban Development, MCD and Delhi Waqf Board.The court had stated that “matter requires consideration” and asked the authorities to file their replies to the plea within four weeks. It listed the matter for further hearing on April 22.The petition has challenged the December 22, 2025 order of the MCD which had declared that all structures beyond 0.195 acres of land are liable to be demolished and that no documentary evidence has been produced to establish ownership or lawful possession of the land by the managing committee of the mosque or the Delhi Waqf Board. The 0.195-acre land houses the mosque.A November 12, 2025 order of a division Bench of the high court had granted three months to the MCD and the PWD to clear 38,940 sq. ft of encroachments at the Ramlila Ground near Turkman Gate, following which the December 22 order was passed by the civic body, reported The Hindu.