A major controversy has erupted in Nasirnagar, Katargam area of Surat, Gujarat, after nearly 100 homes in a slum settlement were demolished while municipal officials and police personnel were present, yet no government agency has accepted responsibility for ordering or carrying out the action.
The incident has raised serious questions about who authorised the demolition, as the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has stated that it never issued any demolition order.
The controversy deepened after protests erupted over the demolition. Around 50 people, including several Congress workers and local residents, were detained by police when they gathered outside the residence of the Surat Municipal Commissioner seeking answers. At the same time, another controversy emerged after it was revealed that the official whose signature appeared on a notice related to the land had already gone on indefinite leave, prompting further questions about the documents and the demolition process. The affected residents have also approached the Gujarat High Court, alleging that due process was not followed and seeking a stay on the demolition drive.
What happened?
According to reports, the demolitions took place on June 3, during the operation, bulldozers demolished around 100 houses, leaving many families homeless.
Residents say the houses were demolished without any official notice, legal announcement, or prior warning. Many of the affected families claim they had been living in the area for 40 to 50 years, and most belonged to working-class or lower middle-class backgrounds.
Why is the incident controversial?
The biggest mystery is that police officials and SMC personnel were present at the site during the demolition, yet the civic body insists that it had no role in demolishing the houses.
Because no department has accepted responsibility, locals have begun referring to the incident as a “ghost demolition.” Residents are demanding to know, who ordered the demolition?, who brought the bulldozers?, under whose authority were the houses demolished? and why did police and municipal officials not stop the action if it was unauthorized?
What did BJP MLA Vinu Mordia say?
BJP MLA Vinu Mordia publicly questioned the incident and sought answers from civic authorities.
He said that after speaking with the Municipal Commissioner, he was informed that, no demolition order was issued by the Surat Municipal Corporation. The municipal team had only gone to the site for legal line drawing and road margin measurements (demarcation work), and there is no official record of any demolition drive in the corporation’s files.
Mordia further said, “I spoke to the municipal commissioner, and he confirmed that no demolition order was given by SMC. I have sought clarity on who carried out the demolition. Since no one other than SMC has the authority to demolish homes, this raises a serious question of law being taken into one’s own hands.”
What is the Surat Municipal Corporation’s explanation?
Municipal Commissioner M. Nagarajan clarified that, the SMC team visited the area only for a land demarcation exercise related to a long-pending matter. During that time, some structures were demolished by another party. According to him, the land belongs to a private entity, and that private party may have deployed the machinery used for demolition. He maintained that SMC had no role in the demolition.
He further said, “During that time, some structures were demolished by another party. The land belongs to a private entity, and they may have deployed machinery. The SMC has no role in the demolition.”
What did SMC Standing Committee Chairman Rajan Patel say?
SMC Standing Committee Chairman Rajan Patel also denied that the municipal corporation carried out the demolition. He stated that, The corporation had sought police deployment only for land demarcation. and municipality did not participate in the demolition. A detailed inquiry has been ordered to determine who actually carried out the operation.
What are residents alleging?
Residents say that, Police officers in uniform and municipal personnel remained present while the houses were being demolished. Women and children pleaded to save their homes, but the demolition continued. If the demolition was unauthorized, the police should have demanded a valid demolition order or magistrate’s permission before allowing it to proceed.
Local resident Javid Shah questioned why authorities did not intervene despite witnessing the demolitions.
Impact on families
The demolition has left dozens of families homeless. According to residents, many families had lived there for 40–50 years, most were working-class or middle-class households. They were allegedly given no prior notice before their homes were demolished.
Investigation ordered
Following the controversy, authorities have initiated an inquiry into how such a large-scale demolition could take place in the presence of police and civic officials, without any official demolition order, and without any government department accepting responsibility.
Similar incident in Bharuch
Another demolition incident also reported in Mandwa Phalia of Amod Taluka, Bharuch district, where at least 30 families’ houses were demolished. According to locals many residents were away at work when the demolitions occurred. Some houses built under the Sardar Patel Housing Scheme were also allegedly demolished. The affected families filed a police complaint. Police subsequently arrested the main accused, Bashir Ali, and a JCB driver in connection with that case.
Also Read:
