Surat Demolition: Civic Chief Denies Orders, HC Questions Police Inaction

The Gujarat High Court on Monday questioned the role of the police, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) and Torrent Power regarding a demolition drive in Surat that removed over 100 unauthorised structures. In a written reply, Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan told the court that neither he nor any corporation official had passed orders for the demolition that occurred on May 30.

Hearing a petition from residents whose homes were allegedly razed without legal authority, Justice Nikhil Kariel 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 took place in Surat’s Ved Darwaja area, known as Nasirnagar, on a private plot of land.

The court 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 were deployed only to maintain law and order after a requisition from the SMC and were not required to decide whether the corporation’s actions were lawful. However, the court order noted that the requisition dated May 21 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.”

In his reply, Municipal Commissioner Nagarajan stated: “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 added that several SMC Central Zone officials were present at the site to carry out “task of demarcation of the road line.”

The commissioner’s note said the land, measuring about 20,739 square metres, is owned by “Parsi individuals” who wanted to develop it through builders. On March 12, 2026, they applied for a Plot Validation Certificate, which was rejected by the SMC because the owners failed to provide a 40-foot-wide public street. The area was “unauthorisedly encroached upon by various individuals,” according to the note. The note added that the road demarcation “was unfortunately followed by removal/demolition of the unauthorised construction” affecting some “50 to 55 unauthorised structures.”