Delhi Police intensify search for YouTuber Salman in Turkman Gate stone-pelting case

New Delhi, Jan 8
Delhi Police on Thursday intensified its search for YouTuber Salman in connection with the violence that erupted during the Municipal Corporation's demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area.

According to police sources, Salman allegedly attempted to disrupt peace by using social media platforms. He is accused of calling upon locals to gather at the site during the demolition drive.

The investigation has also revealed that some influential people in the area allegedly incited residents to assemble through their respective WhatsApp groups. Police said their objective was to create unrest and obstruct the work of the administration and law enforcement agencies during the operation.

Meanwhile, an anti-encroachment drive is underway near Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque at Turkman Gate. Debris is being cleared from the site, and peace is being maintained in the area. Security forces are deployed to ensure order during the operation.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Police said they have identified 30 people involved in the violence that erupted during the municipal corporation's demolition drive near the Faiz-e-Ilahi Mosque in the Turkman Gate area. The identification was made on the basis of CCTV footage, body-worn camera recordings of police personnel, and several viral videos from the area.

Police officials said a summons will soon be sent to Samajwadi Party MP Mohibbullah Nadvi to join the investigation, as he was allegedly present at the site before the violence broke out.

According to Delhi Police, senior officials had requested the MP to stay away from the immediate vicinity, but he continued to remain near the area before the incident.

Meanwhile, Delhi Police have till now arrested five people in connection with the stone pelting incident during the demolition drive near the mosque. Several police teams have been formed, and raids are being conducted to take the identified individuals into custody.

The copy of FIR, accessed by IANS, documented the sequence of events, right from barricading of the encroached land to provocative slogans by locals and then hurling of stones at the policemen, even as the latter tried to explain to them that the demolition drive was limited to illegal constructions and freeing of illegally occupied government land.

According to the FIR, the unrest occurred at 12.40 a.m. when the policemen started barricading the area. A group of 30-35 people gathered at the spot and started shouting slogans, hindering cops from blockading the area.