3 min readSurat, VadodaraJun 30, 2026 02:05 AM IST
THE GUJARAT High Court on Monday questioned the role of the police, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Torrent Power — that supplies electricity to Surat — regarding the controversial demolition drive in Surat, of unauthorised structures, even as the municipal commissioner, in a written reply told the court that neither he nor any one in the corporation had passed orders for the demolition that happened on May 30.
The court observed that senior police officers present at the site “should have intervened” if demolitions were being carried out illegally under the guise of a demarcation exercise. The demolition cleared over 100 units that had allegedly encroached on a private plot of land in Surat’s Ved Darwaja that came to be known as Nasirnagar.
Hearing a petition filed by some of the residents whose homes were allegedly razed without authority of law, Justice Nikhil Kariel of the HC, in an oral order on Monday, remarked that the Surat Police Commissioner, “upon knowing of such an activity i.e. a large-scale demolition, which prima facie was without any authority of law, was not required to wait till a formal complaint is filed and ought to have taken appropriate steps immediately.”
Government pleader G H Virk submitted that police personnel had been deployed at the spot only to maintain the law and order situation after a requisition from the SMC and were not required to decide whether the corporation’s actions were lawful. The court order, however, noted that the requisition dated May 21 had sought police protection “only for demarcation purpose and for nothing else” and observed that “under the garb of demarcation, the corporation’s officials had demolished the properties of some of the petitioners and others.”
According to the response by Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan, “On inquiring about officers of the corporation and checking the record, Respondent no 2 – Commissioner learnt that there was no order passed by any authority of the SMC, muchless by Respondent no 2 – Commissioner, directing such an action of demolition to be taken on May 30, 2026.” The reply adds that several SMC Central Zone officials were present on the site for carrying out “task of demarcation of the road line.”
The Municipal Commissioner’s note in reply states that the land measuring around 20739.64 square metres, is owned by “Parsi individuals” who wanted to develop it through developers, builders and architects. On March 12, 2026, they applied for Plot Validation Certificate, which was rejected by the SMC, because the owners had failed to provide a 40 feet wide public street. He stated that the area was “unauthorisedly encroached upon by various individuals.”
The note adds, “The task relating to the public road demarcation was unfortunately followed by removal/ demolition of the unauthorised construction” affecting some “50 to 55 unauthorised structures.”
