Gujarat: Surat civic body suspends five engineers over ‘ghost’ demolition as HC scrutiny intensifies

Surat, July 1 (IANS) The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Wednesday suspended five civil engineering officials with immediate effect and ordered a departmental inquiry into the controversial demolition of more than 100 houses in Nasirnagar, as the Gujarat High Court continues to closely examine the incident.

The action follows the findings of a special investigation committee constituted by the civic body after residents challenged the demolition before the High Court.

According to the SMC’s Public Relations Department, the suspensions have been ordered to ensure that the departmental inquiry is conducted in a “fair, impartial and transparent manner”.

The suspended officials are Executive Engineers Sujalkumar Prajapati and Jayang Jivanramjiwala, Deputy Engineer Arpan Parmar, Assistant Engineer Monik Gadhia and Junior Engineer Nareshkumar Galchar.

The controversy relates to a demolition drive carried out on May 30 in Nasirnagar under the Central Zone of Surat.

Residents have alleged that around 106 houses were demolished without prior notice or due process.

The matter has since triggered political debate and judicial scrutiny, with several affected residents filing petitions before the Gujarat High Court.

The inquiry has placed particular focus on Executive Engineer Jayang Jivanramjiwala, who was overseeing the demolition as the zonal officer.

Videos showing him supervising the operation with a handkerchief tied around his head had circulated widely on social media during the controversy.

Reports also suggest he proceeded on a week’s leave from June 8 as public criticism intensified.

Questions have also been raised over the role of Executive Engineer Sujalkumar Prajapati.

Although the demolition site reportedly did not fall within his jurisdiction, he is alleged to have instructed the deployment of three poclain excavators, two JCB breaker machines and around 60 workers for the operation.

He is also alleged to have directed that the demolition be carried out in the presence of police personnel, while no officer from his own department accompanied the demolition team.

These allegations remain part of the ongoing inquiry.

During the latest hearing on June 29, the High Court questioned the Surat Police Commissioner Anupam Singh Gahlaut over the administration’s failure to act despite police personnel being present during the demolition and asked why no action had been taken for 16 days.

The bench also questioned the role of senior police officers, including a Deputy Commissioner of Police, in the demarcation exercise and issued notice to the private builder named in the proceedings.

Reports also saw the High Court say that the demolition appeared to have been carried out “under the garb of road demarcation” and emphasise that if the action was unlawful, police officers present at the site had a duty to prevent it.

The court has also directed the SMC to submit reports on its internal inquiry while examining allegations that the demolition may have been undertaken to benefit a private development project.

Those allegations remain under judicial consideration and have not been established.

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for July 2, when the High Court is expected to consider the civic body’s inquiry findings and examine the accountability of the officials and other parties involved.

–IANS

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