Delhi stone-pelting case: Police nab three more accused, total arrests 16

New Delhi, Jan 10 (IANS) Three more accused have been arrested in the Turkman Gate stone-pelting case, bringing the total number of arrests to 16, Delhi Police said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Mohammad Naved, Mohammad Faiz and Mohammad Ubaidullah. All three are residents of Turkman Gate.

Earlier on Friday, two people were arrested in connection with the case.

The case dates back to January 7, when the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) carried out a demolition drive against the encroachments near the Faiz-e-Elahi Mosque in Turkman Gate. The authorities claimed that the demolition drive was carried out as per the orders of the court.

As the demolition got underway, a large number of residents gathered outside the mosque, raising slogans and protesting against the action. The situation soon turned volatile when some members of the crowd attempted to breach police barricades and began pelting stones at security personnel. Police responded by firing tear gas shells to disperse the protesters and prevent the unrest from spreading.

Earlier on Thursday, police said that at least 30 people had been identified for their involvement in the incident.

Meanwhile, a Delhi court remanded eight accused to judicial custody till January 21.

Additionally, the Delhi Police will soon issue a summons to Samajwadi Party (SP) MP Mohibbullah Nadvi, who is said to have been present at the stone-pelting site soon before the violent protest broke out.

According to the police officials, Nadvi remained at the site at the time of the incident, even though he was requested to leave several times.

Meanwhile, a considerable number of police and paramilitary units have been deployed to sensitive locations to maintain peace and order, while senior officers are supervising the preparations on the ground.

The police said that they are working to identify other accused in the case, and the investigation is underway.

Further details are awaited.