New Delhi, May 9 -- The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) demolished a century-old dargah in Mangolpuri Industrial Area Phase-II early hours of Wednesday, May 6, with heavy police presence.

While authorities claimed it was an illegal encroachment on government land, the dargah caretakers maintained it was more than 100 years old. The DDA said the structure was Dargah Panch Peeran and that demolition took place only after obtaining approval from the religious committee and completing legal proceedings.

"This was done after getting due approval from the religious committee, with completion of all codal formalities, which established the said dargah as a patently blatant unauthorised construction on government land," a DDA spokesperson was...