Gujarat Hardlook: A Surat demolition & several unanswered questions

May 30, 2026: Two bulldozers and a JCB drove into Nasirnagar, a ghetto spread over 28,000 square metres in the Ved Darwaja area of Surat in the morning when people were doing their daily chores — some were cooking, children were getting ready for school and some others were preparing to leave for work.

The demolition operation started swiftly. With the presence of a large number of police personnel, the residents, who had little clue, could not do anything but to shout for help. Over 100 shanties were demolished, leaving the residents on the streets. Residents of Nasirnagar claim that the drive continued till June 1.

Thirty-year-old Shabnam was preparing lunch for her daughters Saleha (9) and Aliza (6), before going for work as a household help in the neighbourhood when she heard the commotion and people raising an alarm.

“I came out and found police personnel and municipal officials demolishing houses. Before I could think, the bulldozers were around 200 metres away, then at my doorstep and within minutes my house became a heap of rubble. All my household items were inside. I somehow managed to salvage some clothes and cash and rushed out of the house. I saw my home being demolished before my eyes. We shouted and cried for help, but the police threatened us,” claims Shabnam.

“Everything, including cooked food, was buried in the debris; my children went hungry. I have been staying in this house for the past 15 years. My parents’ home nearby was also demolished by then,” says Shabnam, tears rolling down her face.

“The police had cordoned off the entire area so that nobody could resist. The majority of the residents are aged over 50. There are families who are staying for generations at Nasirnagar. How can we resist?” Shabnam asks.

Shabnam was born in Nasirnagar to Zahir and Parveen Khan. Parveen is from Jalgaon in Maharashtra , settled in Surat.

Shabnam’s husband Akbar Khan, an autorickshaw driver, died of an illness a couple of years ago. After that, Shabnam sent their eldest child, Ahil (11), to an orphanage, where he also pursues his studies. Her daughters go to a nearby municipal school.

For Shabnam, accessories that were part of her everyday life – a television, a fan, a bed, household crockeries, almirah – were all buried under the debris. “Had the SMC authorities given us some time, we would have searched for a house on rent and shifted our household items elsewhere. It was already difficult for me to run the house after the death of my husband and now I am homeless,”she says.

She and some others whose homes were razed are now living in makeshift tents. She goes to work leaving her children with her parents in the tent. Her children have stopped going to school. “Now we are just praying for some relief from the state government,” she tells The Indian Express.

The local residents allege that the police also damaged CCTVs installed by some of the residents and destroyed the DVR.

They recall the presence of a senior police officer – of DCP rank – and other Surat Municipal Corporation officials during the demolition drive.

On June 9, when local leaders and a group of residents of Nasirnagar protested outside the residence of Municipal Commissioner M Nagarajan in Athwa Lines, police detained nearly 25 of them and took them to Umra police station and later let off.

Over 100 families are alleged to have occupied this plot of private land, spread over 28,000 square metres, for decades, which came to be known as Nasirnagar. While the SMC initially denied it had any role in the demolition drive, around three weeks later, Nagarajan said in a video that it was a municipal demolition meant to clear space for a road.

‘Work in progress’, reads a board put up by the SMC in the area as residents try to salvage their belongings from the rubble. A building construction is in progress in the adjoining plot, iron rods sticking out from the pillars like spikes.

Case in court

On Thursday, the Gujarat High Court heard a petition by 26 of the 106 families seeking justice and compensation, and asked the municipal corporation and the police department to explain why due process was not followed for the demolition. The court also directed Torrent Power Ltd, which supplied electricity to the slum units, to be present before it on Monday (June 29) when the matter would be heard next.

In their petition, the residents prayed for a court directive that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) should look into the demolition and compensation “for violating their fundamental and constitutional rights” and “rehabilitation to a nearby place”.

The petition alleges that around 8 am on May 30, an official of SMC’s Central Zone and “employees of Torrent Power Corporation” came to the site “and cut off the electricity connection, and they started removing power meters without any prior information or showing reasons”.

The petitioners also claim “there were 15-20 male and female SMC employees” and around 22-25 Surat city police officers who identified themselves as “SOG” (Special Operations Group).

Officials of Torrent Power could not be reached for comment.

Hussain Shaikh, a resident of Nasirnagar since 1990, whose house was spared, has filed a Special Civil Application (SCA) before the Gujarat High Court seeking a stay on the demolition operation. His petition states, “The SMC officials turned up without any prior notice or intimation and started demolishing the shanties in Nasirnagar”. He also sought alternate accommodation for those evicted, as per a 2013 resolution of the Gujarat government. Shaikh’s petition is due for hearing on June 30.

A slum through generations

The 28,000 square metre plot in contention is owned by a family of some six adult members. As per the government records, the land bears the revenue survey no. 1267 (1), (2), (3), and 1268. For a long time, the land was open, and no construction was done by the owners. Around 50 to 60 years ago, people started encroaching on the land bearing revenue survey number 1268, which came to be known as Nasirnagar. The demolition was carried out in the 1268(b) portion.

Nasirnagar slums president Zakir Shah, who owned two units which were demolished, says “Earlier Nasirnagar had over 700 houses (shanties). In 2013, over 300 houses were demolished to develop an approach road from Jilani bridge end in Ved Darwaja. After the May 30 demolition, there are around 250 units remaining, some partially demolished”.

Shah claims the road to be developed would be around 50 feet wide and 200 metres long.

A municipal mobile toilet has been set up at the site. A charity organisation has taken up the responsibility for meals. At lunch time, a table is laid and some basic food is served that residents eat sitting on the remains of concrete or benches.

Allahrakha Tinwala, who runs an organisation that is supporting the Nasirnagar dwellers in their quest for justice, said, “We know that the victims’ houses are demolished and they don’t have a place to cook food. These people are poor, and they cannot afford to buy food daily from nearby places, so we are providing snacks and food to them.”

Housing Project Nearby

Sources told The Indian Express that the owners had sold a huge chunk of land 1267 (1) and (2) to real estate developers who have launched a project called Palia Residency and Palia Elegance. A part of the project has reached the plinth level with columns having been erected for the multi-storey towers. The 1267 part 3 land is presently vacant.

On June 8, Surat Municipal Commissioner Nagarajan told this newspaper that the SMC had “no locus standi” in the demolition.

Nagarajan had said, “The land is owned by a private party who has contributed a portion under the town planning scheme for a road. Our team went to the spot for land marking (demarcation) for the road area. As per the rules, a notice was issued to the residents and the slums were later demolished after hearing them.”

The residents, however, claimed they haven’t received any such notice. A twist in the controversial demolitions came on June 11 when Additional City Engineer and Central Zone deputy commissioner Ashish Naik stated in a video that his zonal team had carried out the demolitions, “to clear the way for a road”.

“We have completed the demolition in accordance with the rules and regulations. To prevent any untoward incident, we also sought police protection,” Naik is purportedly heard saying in the video.

Another aspect emerged when one of the landowners, Gulben Palia (75), put out a video on June 21 saying her family had donated plots of land to the SMC to build a school and public amenities.

“I stay alone and own a huge chunk of land in the Ved road are. On some of our land plots, people have encroached… They are living there with their families. I am alone and a senior citizen, and there is nobody to help me when people encroach on my land. The SMC has carried out demolition to make way for the high-rise towers. If somebody has made encroachment on my land, I have the right to remove them,” Palia claimed in the video.

On June 20, SMC Central Zone officials issued notices to the landowners and builders stating no permission was taken for the construction carried out so far.

The notice, seen by The Indian Express, says,” The basement and foundation work of the mega building construction work is in progress on revenue survey numbers 1267, 1267/3, 1268. No permission for construction activities was obtained from the SMC. There is a risk of water pooling at the basement/foundation area, which may lead to mosquito breeding and health concerns for nearby residents. It has been requested that the basement or foundation area be filled to address these health issues. If there is an outbreak of illness and loss of life, you will be held responsible.”

SMC officials say a team for pre-monsoon surveillance visited the spot and issued a notice asking the owners to respond in seven days.

A probe team ordered by Nagarajan has taken statements of at least 15 SMC officials and staff who were seen in the videos on the May 30 demolition and a 40-page report has been submitted to the commissioner.

Political topic

Congress councillor Arshad Jariwala and former councillor Aslam Cyclewala have taken up the issue on behalf of the Nasirnagar residents. On June 10, Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Dr Tushar Chaudhary wrote a letter to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel seeking action against those responsible for the demolitions and demanding rehabilitation of the affected people. Chaudhary claimed that the surveillance cameras in Nasirnagar were also broken.

Chaudhary’s letter says, “Under the SMC’s Zero Slum Policy, a survey of the kutcha-pucca houses and residents in the Nasirnagar slum should have been done first. No notice was given by the Central Zone of the SMC. Some private land has been acquired by Setubandh Realty Company through compulsory land acquisition to obtain additional FSI (floor space index) for the Palia Elegance project, so a copy of its proposal, copies of approvals, and correspondence should be examined. When was the plot variation permission granted to the owners of the Palia Elegance project by Setubandh Realty Company? Under what conditions was it granted? This should be investigated.” The petition by 26 residents also alleges that the police were at the site on the “basis of order issued by a representative of Setuband Infra”.

In a Surat coordination committee meeting convened in SMC headquarters, BJP MLA of Katargam, Vinu Moradiya took up the ‘Ghost demolition’ issue, before his party leaders, MLAs, and SMC officials. He also raised concern over the probe committee saying that they comprised “colleagues of those responsible”.

Moradiya told The Indian Express, “According to my information, a builder’s land is near the Nasirnagar area, and he wanted to get these slums removed… The builder has demanded a small road leading to his under-construction project. We also wanted to know why the SMC went ahead and removed entire slum settlements… Something fishy is going on among the SMC officials.”