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This is an archive article published on April 20, 2022

In Jahangirpuri, bulldozers leave trail of despair: ‘What have they proved with this?’

The Delhi municipal corporation's snap anti-encroachment demolition drive, a few days after a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the area sparked communal violence, has left in its wake a trail of devastation and despair, cutting across fault lines.

Written by: Sukrita Baruah, Anand Mohan J

5 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Apr 21, 2022 08:24 AM IST

Jahangirpuri demolition, Jahangirpuri anti-encroachment drive, Delhi news, Jahangirpuri news, Indian express news

Anti encroachment drive at Jahangirpuri in New Delhi on Wednesday.

One was selling cold drinks to police until yesterday. Another had been running a store in the building where he was born 40 years ago. A third was saving up for the festival. None had any prior notice, none were given the right to respond — all were scrambling Wednesday evening to pick up the pieces of what was left.

Just hours earlier, as two CRPF officers took position atop Akbar’s home in Jahangirpuri and complained about the harsh sun, the 35-year-old shop owner had immediately split a red flex board into two to make a temporary sun shade. “All I asked was whether the encroachment drive will damage my shop and they promised me it was against scrap dealers,” Akbar said.

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Barely an hour later, all that a bulldozer left of his small shop was squashed cigarette packets and cold drinks covered in dust. And all that this family of four was left with was an earthen piggy bank with coins and spare notes.

A few hundred metres away, Dinesh Kumar was adding up the losses, the metal awning over his mobile repair shop now a mere number: “Rs 50,000.”

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“But the biggest loss is here,” said the 40-year-old, pointing to his heart. “I had asked police personnel last night if my shop would be demolished, and if I should move everything out. But they had said no…Because of the mistakes of a few people, all of us are being punished.”

The Delhi municipal corporation’s snap anti-encroachment demolition drive, a few days after a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the area sparked communal violence, has left in its wake a trail of devastation and despair, cutting across fault lines.

At Jahangirpuri in New Delhi on Wednesday.

For Akbar, the end came after five days of brisk business. “My customers were CRPF, Delhi Police and RAF (Rapid Action Force). I gave them water and sometimes free sugar. I gave those CRPF officers shade from the sun by breaking my own flex boards,” he said.

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Jahangirpuri, in pictures | A communal flare-up, demolition drive, then SC intervention

A few months ago, with the onset of summer, Akbar had bought three chocolate-coloured refrigerators “after taking a loan of Rs 12 lakh”. “I had also bought cold-drink stocks worth Rs 15,000,” he said.

Akbar’s wife, Rahima shows an MCD vendor certificate issued in 2021. “We did nothing illegal. Why were we punished? This is our livelihood. For you, this may just be kabaad (scrap),” said the 30-year-old.

Also Read | Manish Sisodia calls Jahangirpuri anti-encroachment drive ‘drama’, asks for BJP leaders’ houses to be razed

Their two children, Rahim (16) and Asif (12), were busy trying to salvage what they could from the debris. Asif picked up a packet of fruit juice even as sledge hammers dismantled whatever little was left of the shop. Rahim managed to save packets of chips.

According to Akbar, Rahim dropped out of school during the first Covid lockdown and now works as an apprentice at a mobile repair shop. “I was asleep when the bulldozer came. I saw my mother crying downstairs and went outside to help her save those cold drinks,” Rahim said.

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Dinesh Kumar had opened his mobile repair shop in November 2020, “after working for 18 years in a managerial role in an NGO”. “I resigned last year because I was inspired by the Government’s push for entrepreneurship, and wanted to develop my own business,” he said.

The metal awning over his store, a “recent investment”, has been damaged. “What have they achieved? What have they proved with this? They could have just asked us to remove the awnings and we would have done it,” he said. “The shop was just some months old, but I was born in this building and have lived there all my life.”

In the case of Ashu, who runs a motorbike repair shop in rented space on the local mosque’s premises, the bulldozers damaged the metal awning, the shutter, and even three vehicles, including a bike that a customer had left to be repaired. Staring at the mangled remains of the two-wheeler, he estimated losses totalling “Rs 1.5-2 lakh”.

A father of two, Ashu was “saving up for Eid”. “Now, the customers will come after me. The shop has been closed since the day of the violence and there has been no business, and now there are all these losses. I never thought such a thing would happen. I have been running this shop for 16-17 years, and no one has raised any issue about the structure,” he said.

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“The MCD did not give us any intimation and just demolished our stores. This was supposed to be the festival time, and we are left with this,” he said.

Sukrita Baruah

Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges. Expertise and Experience Ethnic & Social Dynamics: Deep-dive coverage of regional conflicts (such as the crisis in Manipur) and peace-building efforts. Border & Geopolitics: Tracking developments along India’s international borders and their impact on local communities. Governance & Policy: Reporting on state elections, tribal council decisions, and the implementation of central schemes in the North East. Specialized Education Background: Prior to her current role, Sukrita was a dedicated Education Correspondent for The Indian Express in Delhi. This experience provided her with a sharp analytical lens for: Policy Analysis: Evaluating the National Education Policy (NEP) and university-level reforms. Student Affairs: Covering high-stakes stories regarding campus politics, national entrance exams, and the challenges within the primary and secondary education sectors. ... Read More

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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