Delhi Court Reserves Bail Order in Turkman Gate Violence Case
A city court in Delhi reserved its order on Tuesday regarding bail applications from five individuals. These individuals face accusations of involvement in violence near the Faiz-e-Elahi mosque at Turkman Gate in Central Delhi. The violence erupted last week during a demolition drive conducted by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The court is expected to announce its decision on Wednesday.
Defence Arguments: Arrests as a Deterrent
Nadeem Khan, the defence counsel representing one of the accused named Adnan, presented strong arguments in court. He contended that the five accused persons were arrested primarily to set a deterrent example for the public. Khan emphasized that police officers were already familiar with the accused before the incident occurred.
"Due to the breach of public order, the act of one person doesn't mean the liability needs to be fastened onto everyone," Khan stated. He further pointed out that his client does not appear in any CCTV footage from the scene. The defence counsel also claimed that authorities made the arrests even before registering the First Information Report (FIR).
Prosecution's Stance: An Attack on the System
Opposing the bail pleas, the Delhi Police presented their case through Additional Public Prosecutors Atul Kumar Shrivastava and Dr Tushar Kadyan. They argued that the accused were fully aware of a Delhi High Court order. This order directed the MCD to take action against encroachments in the area.
"It was not a simple case of assault but an attack on the system," the prosecution submitted firmly. They detailed that the accused individuals pelted stones at police personnel, endangering their lives. Prosecutors also revealed that the accused had instigating messages and videos on their mobile phones. These materials allegedly spread rumours about the demolition activities.
Background of the Incident
The civic body initiated the demolition of encroachments adjacent to the mosque last week. This action followed shortly after the Delhi High Court declined a plea for an interim stay on such demolition work. Violence broke out soon after, as approximately 30 to 35 people gathered in the area. They raised slogans and threw stones, resulting in injuries to five police officers.
To date, authorities have made a total of 18 arrests in connection with this case. The bulldozers targeted various structures, including a baaraat ghar and a dispensary. These structures were located outside a 0.195-acre patch of land where the mosque and a dargah stand. Importantly, both the mosque and the dargah remained untouched during the demolition operations.
