Surat’s Nasir Nagar demolition controversy has widened into a legal and administrative crisis after nearly 100 homes and shops were razed under police presence, with the civic body denying that it ordered the operation and residents moving the Gujarat High Court alleging that due process was ignored.
The demolitions in the Ved Darwaja-Katargam belt began on May 28, leaving families amid debris and triggering protests over what local residents and political figures have described as an “ownerless” bulldozer operation. The central dispute is now no longer limited to encroachment or town planning; it has shifted to who authorised heavy machinery to enter the settlement, who requisitioned police support, and why no agency has accepted operational responsibility.
Residents say they were not served adequate prior notice and were not given time to remove belongings, documents and household items. Several families claim they had lived in the settlement for decades, paid municipal taxes, held electricity connections and accessed civic services. Their argument before the court is that even if the land is privately owned or covered by a road proposal under a town planning scheme, eviction and demolition must follow statutory safeguards.
A special civil application filed by Hussain Aziz Shaikh, a resident whose house had not yet been demolished, has made the state government, Surat Municipal Corporation, Surat Police Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Special Operation Group respondents. The petition seeks a halt to further demolition and relief for families whose houses were brought down. It also argues that authorities are required to provide alternative residential arrangements before eviction where applicable rules and rehabilitation norms are triggered.
Surat Municipal Corporation has maintained that its officials were present only for line marking and road demarcation linked to a proposed road on private land. Municipal Commissioner N Nagarajan has said the corporation did not carry out the demolition and that no formal demolition order was issued by the civic body. Police officials, however, have indicated that personnel were deployed after a request for security was received from municipal authorities, creating a direct contradiction at the centre of the inquiry.
The civic body has now formed a six-member high-power investigation committee led by Deputy Municipal Commissioner Meena Gajjar. The panel includes Deputy Municipal Commissioner M M Doctor, Additional City Engineer M D Chavda, Executive Engineers K L Vasava and R D Ganjawala, and Deputy Engineer Mohsin A Kagji. It has been asked to examine the sequence of events, identify who gave directions, scrutinise the role of Central Zone officials and determine whether any employee exceeded authority or bypassed mandatory procedure.
The committee’s formation has not ended the controversy. Katargam MLA Vinu Moradiya has questioned whether officials of comparable rank can credibly examine the conduct of colleagues who may themselves be under scrutiny. He has sought an independent, higher-level inquiry and said the episode raises serious concerns about the law being taken into private hands. He has also pointed to allegations that the clearance may have helped road access to a nearby private construction project.
Opposition leaders have accused the administration of shielding responsible officers despite visible official presence at the site. Representations were made on behalf of residents to the Municipal Commissioner, Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut, District Collector Tejas Parmar, Mayor Mayaben Mavani and Standing Committee Chairman Rajan Patel soon after the demolition. Local representatives say the operation stopped only after public pressure and political intervention.
For affected families, the immediate concerns are shelter, compensation and restoration of documents lost in the rubble. Many residents worked in informal occupations, including transport, small trade and daily-wage labour, and say the demolition has disrupted livelihoods as well as housing. The presence of police personnel has sharpened anger, with residents asking why officers did not verify demolition orders before allowing machines to proceed.
