Surat Municipal Commissioner M. Nagarajan had earlier informed the Gujarat High Court that the demolition was not carried out by the civic body. However, the suspension of officials has raised serious questions about internal accountability and the chain of command within the municipal administration.
The suspended officials include Executive Engineers Sujalkumar Dharamshibhai Prajapati and Jayang Rajnikant Jivanramjiwala, Deputy Engineer Arpan Mansukhlal Parmar, Assistant Engineer Monik Babubhai Gadhiya, and Junior Engineer Nareshkumar Binalbhai Galchar.
The disciplinary action represents a sharp departure from the civic body’s initial denial of involvement in the large-scale demolition operation. During proceedings before the Gujarat High Court, lawyers representing the state government and the civic commissioner admitted that the incident at Nasirnagar should never have occurred.
The state government further informed the court that a specialised team of officials has been assigned to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter. It also stated that police authorities had been informed in advance to maintain law and order during what was officially described as a land demarcation exercise.
However, the High Court raised serious concerns over this explanation, questioning why such a significant police deployment was necessary if the activity was limited to land demarcation alone. The bench expressed strong displeasure over the situation and observed that an entire month had passed without effective intervention by the municipal commissioner in a matter requiring urgent administrative oversight.
The court further remarked that criminal activities appeared to have taken place under the direct watch of the police, who allegedly remained passive observers, and recorded its dissatisfaction with the performance of the civic commissioner.
According to Surat Municipal Corporation officials, the suspension of the five engineers has been ordered to ensure that the ongoing departmental investigation is conducted in a fair, neutral, and unbiased manner.
The developments highlight deep administrative contradictions between official statements and on-ground actions, while placing municipal governance, procedural accountability, and law enforcement conduct under heightened judicial scrutiny.
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