Four Held for Stone Attack on Manesar Drive

GURUGRAM: Police have arrested four men accused of pelting stones at Manesar Municipal Corporation and police teams and vandalising government vehicles during an anti-encroachment drive at Shankar Ki Dhani in Bas Kusla village, officials said.

According to police, a Manesar Municipal Corporation official lodged a complaint at the Sector-7 IMT police station stating that a civic team, accompanied by police personnel, had gone to Shankar Ki Dhani on September 3 to remove an illegal market selling clothes, vegetables and meat. During the drive, some people allegedly instigated others to pelt stones at the teams. Government vehicles were vandalised and several police and municipal personnel sustained injuries. A case was registered on the complaint.

Acting on that case, a police team on Tuesday arrested the four accused from Bas Kusla and adjoining localities. They were identified as Radheshyam, originally from Sanoli in Ghazipur and residing at Shankar Ki Dhani in Manesar; Prakash, originally from Madhopur in Bareilly and residing in Bhangrola village; Surajpal, originally from Kasampur in Aligarh and residing in Kakrola village; and Vivek, originally from Tihra Hedarpur in Ballia and residing at Shankar Ki Dhani.

Investigators are examining whether other persons were involved in the alleged attack and whether the stone-pelting was planned to stop removal of the unauthorised market. Police said statements of injured personnel and video, if any, from the spot are being collected. The accused face allegations of assault on public servants and damage to government property; specific sections will follow the charge-sheet after evidence is compiled.

Anti-encroachment drives in Manesar's village belts have repeatedly met resistance where informal markets occupy road berms and open parcels. Civic officials say such markets obstruct access for emergency vehicles and create hygiene risks from meat and vegetable waste. Local sellers argue that sudden removals wipe out livelihoods without offering alternate vending space. The September 3 operation was part of that contested enforcement cycle.

Municipal teams have been told to coordinate earlier with police when clearing markets that have previously seen confrontation. Residents of Bas Kusla said intermittent stalls had returned after earlier clearances, prompting the latest drive. Police urged public cooperation and warned that attacking enforcement parties would invite arrest regardless of disputes over land use.

The four arrested men were produced as per procedure after Tuesday's action. Further arrests, if any, will depend on identification from injured staff and local witnesses. Manesar Municipal Corporation said removal of unauthorised roadside markets would continue with police cover where needed, while police asked bystanders to stay clear of active demolition zones.
IMT Manesar and adjoining villages have seen repeated cycles of informal market growth on berms after earlier clearances. Civic planners say permanent vending zones with water and waste points would reduce confrontation, but land for such zones is scarce near busy junctions. Until then, removal drives will continue to need police cover when crowds gather.

Police said the investigation remains open to identifying instigators who may not have been present at the moment of arrest. CCTV from approaching roads and call detail analysis may be used if available. For municipal workers, the Tuesday arrests are meant to signal that assault during duty will not be treated as a routine protest. For residents, the message is to use complaint channels rather than stone-pelting when disputing demolition notices.