New Delhi

Shuttered shops, overturned scooters, broken tiles and stones littered the narrow lanes near Turkman Gate on Wednesday as the locality remained tense and under heavy security following violence during an anti-encroachment drive.

At least five police personnel were injured after some people allegedly pelted stones and glass bottles at the police during the demolition carried out on land adjoining the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque and a nearby graveyard.

From rooftops and behind locked iron gates, residents were seen shouting at security personnel deployed across the area. Children watched from balconies and behind gates, some waving handkerchiefs and shouting, while most residents stayed indoors amid the heightened police presence.

Children were also seen picking up broken rods and loose wires from the roadside, carefully navigating the debris left behind by the demolition drive.

The largely traffic-free roads bore visible signs of unrest, with broken glass, damaged building tiles and stones scattered across several stretches.

Additional forces of the Delhi Police were deployed in lanes adjoining the mosque, with personnel stationed at multiple points to prevent any flare-up. Barricades were erected at key entry points, restricting civilian movement, with only police and Municipal Corporation of Delhi vehicles allowed through.

Several people were seen being taken away in police vehicles as security personnel continued checking lanes and clearing the area.

Most shops in the locality remained shuttered, adding to the deserted look of the neighbourhood under tight security cover.

A local shopkeeper said he had kept his establishment closed as a precaution. “We shut everything and stayed inside,” he said, pointing towards debris strewn across the road.

Another resident, who said he had lived in the area for over five decades, described the land adjoining the mosque as a graveyard. “This place is nothing else. I have seen people being buried here over the years,” he said, adding that many residents were disheartened by what they witnessed.

“People were upset by what was done to the graveyard,” he said.

A local auto-rickshaw driver said rumours had spread on Tuesday that the mosque was being demolished. “In reality, only illegal constructions like shops and other structures were removed,” he said, adding that the misinformation led to chaos.

“Things escalated quickly yesterday, but the situation is a little calm now,” he added.

Police on Wednesday registered an FIR against unidentified persons and detained several individuals in connection with the violence that erupted during the anti-encroachment drive, which was carried out on the directions of the Delhi High Court, an official said.

Around 30 bulldozers and 50 dumpers were deployed, with over 300 civic workers and officials engaged in clearing encroachments declared illegal by the court.

Police said around 100-150 people gathered at the site and clashed with security personnel, who used teargas to disperse the crowd, stating that only mild force was used.

The process of identifying those involved in the stone-pelting incident is underway, with investigators probing whether the violence was spontaneous or pre-planned.

Senior officers said CCTV footage and videos circulating on social media are being analysed, while statements of witnesses and detained persons are being recorded.

READ MORE: IUML's Fatima Muzaffar Ahmed is the epitome of Muslim woman leadership

Police said law and order arrangements remain in place as a precautionary measure and strict action will be taken against those found involved in the violence.