Delhi violence: Three mosques targeted, school burnt, shops & homes looted

Delhi violence: As per eyewitnesses who were inside Farooqia masjid offering evening namaz, a group of armed men broke the doors of the mosque and assaulted those inside.

Delhi violence: A school in Mustafabad on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. (Express Photo: Amit Mehra)

A saffron flag inscribed with ‘Jai Shri Ram’ fluttered on top of a minaret and a Tricolour lay mangled a step below. On Tuesday, rioters had desecrated the mosque and set it on fire, and torched and looted at least four homes underneath. Videos of men climbing the minaret had been circulated through Tuesday.

This was one of two mosques, a kilometre apart, targeted inside Ashok Nagar, between noon and 3 pm. Two kilometres away in Brijpuri, another mosque was desecrated by rioters and torched.

Eyewitnesses told The Indian Express Wednesday that a mob trooped into the neighbourhood around 12 pm Tuesday. “First they pelted the mosque with stones and then broke open its gates, climbed up the minarets and planted the flags. Then they torched the building. Fortunately, residents staying in and around the mosque were evacuated,” said N K Sharma, an elderly local.

Two kilometres away in Brijpuri, another mosque was desecrated by rioters and torched. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

The rioters also targeted a three-storey residential property located on the other side of the lane facing the mosque, and torched eight shops.

Locals maintained they could not recognise the rioters, “who were all outsiders”.

After the first round of attack around mid-noon, police had evacuated Muslim residents of the neighbourhood. “We were taken to the police station when the mosque was attacked. In the evening, the mob came back and looted all our valuables, including jewellery. My daughter’s certificates, including her admit card, have been burnt,” said Parveena, a resident.

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Mohammad Rashid, her husband, said the premises from which the mosque was operating was on rent. Inside, the rooms were charred, even as smoke continued to billow out of the ashes. Beds, mattresses, ceiling fans and buckets, lay scattered, half-burnt.

A few kilometres away in Brijpuri, armed men torched a mosque and a madarssa Tuesday evening. (Express Photo by Amit Mehra)

In Ashok Nagar’s E Block, the mob attacked another mosque around 3 pm Tuesday. Two meat shops, owned by Akbar Qureshi, were also ransacked.

A few kilometres away in Brijpuri, armed men torched a mosque and a madarssa Tuesday evening.

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A few blocks away, a school was torched. As per eyewitnesses who were inside Farooqia masjid offering evening namaz, a group of armed men broke the doors of the mosque and assaulted those inside.

Mohammad Masjid, an eyewitness, said, “They were wearing helmets and we could not see their faces. They hurled petrol bombs.” The mosque is next to the Mustafabad anti-CAA protest site, which was also torched.

Anand Mohan J

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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