Surat Municipal Corporation Suspends Five Engineers Over Controversial Nasirnagar Demolition

SURAT : In a major development that could significantly impact the controversial Nasirnagar demolition case, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has suspended five engineers and initiated a formal departmental inquiry following the findings of a special investigation committee. The action comes amid mounting judicial scrutiny, public outrage, and allegations that the demolition was carried out to benefit a private builder.

The suspended officials include Executive Engineers (Civil) Sujalkumar Dharamshibhai Prajapati and Jayang Rajnikant Jivanramjiwala, Deputy Engineer Arpan Mansukhlal Parmar, Assistant Engineer Monik Babubhai Gadhia, and Junior Engineer Nareshkumar Binalbhai Galchar. All five had also been named in a petition filed before the Gujarat High Court.

The demolition, carried out on May 30, 2026, in Nasirnagar under the Central Zone of the SMC, sparked widespread controversy after residents alleged that homes were razed without due process. It has also been alleged that the demolition was undertaken to facilitate a project linked to builder Sanjay Lakhani, a claim that remains under judicial examination.

According to the SMC, the suspensions were ordered to ensure that the departmental investigation is conducted in a fair, impartial, and transparent manner. “Keeping in mind the need for a completely neutral departmental inquiry, the administration has suspended the concerned officers with immediate effect,” the civic body stated.

Executive Engineer Jayang Ramjiwala had come under the spotlight after videos showing him supervising the demolition with a handkerchief tied around his head went viral on social media. Reports suggest that he had gone on a week’s leave on June 8 as the controversy intensified.

Questions have also been raised over the role of Executive Engineer Sujal Prajapati. Despite the demolition site not falling within his jurisdiction, he allegedly instructed the agency to deploy three Poklan machines, two JCB breakers, and around 60 workers. He is also alleged to have directed that the demolition proceed in the presence of police personnel, while no officer from his own department reportedly accompanied him during the operation.

The Gujarat High Court has already taken a stern view of the matter. During the June 29 hearing, the court questioned the Surat Police Commissioner over the administration’s failure to act despite police presence at the site and asked why no action was taken for 16 days. The bench also questioned the involvement of senior police officers, including a DCP, in the demarcation process and issued a notice to the concerned builder seeking an explanation.

The next hearing in the high-profile Nasirnagar demolition case is scheduled for July 2, with the court expected to closely examine the findings of the civic body’s inquiry and the accountability of officials involved.