AHMEDABAD: A fresh alleged ‘ghost demolition’ in Ahmedabad has revived questions over illegal civic action in Gujarat. Three shops were bulldozed in Nana Chiloda by men allegedly posing as AMC officials, while an earlier similar demolition in Surat’s Nasirnagar is ongoing before the Gujarat High Court.
A suspected “ghost” civic demolition in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has triggered a statewide controversy after unidentified men allegedly used the name of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to demolish three shops in the Nana Chiloda GIDC area.
The incident has drawn comparisons with the earlier Nasirnagar demolition in Surat, where a similar controversy had erupted. That matter is currently being heard before the Gujarat High Court, adding legal and political weight to the latest Ahmedabad episode.
According to preliminary information, a group arrived at a private plot near a car showroom with bulldozers and heavy machinery. Claiming to have come from the corporation and citing official pressure, the men allegedly demolished a paan parlour, a tea stall and a garage.
The group was reportedly accompanied by private security personnel and bouncers, raising further questions over who organised the operation and under whose authority it was carried out.
The shop owners were alerted by a neighbour and rushed to the site. However, when they contacted AMC officials, they allegedly discovered that the civic body had no information about the demolition.
The shopkeepers then approached the police, who reached the spot and began investigating the alleged impersonation and destruction of property.
AMC denies involvement
After learning that the demolition had been carried out in its name, the AMC’s North Zone Estate Department inspected the site. The preliminary inquiry found that no AMC officer or authorised civic security team had participated in the action.
Town Planning and Estate Committee Chairman Bhajesh Patel said private agency personnel and machinery were found at the location.
“The demolition took place on a private plot, but no AMC official authorised or participated in it. Our inquiry found private personnel and machinery at the site. We have ordered action against anyone who misused the corporation’s name,” Patel said.
Ahmedabad Mayor Hitesh Barot described the incident as a serious attempt to damage the civic body’s reputation.
“The inspection confirmed that AMC officials did not carry out the demolition. A police complaint has been registered, and further action will follow. Misusing the corporation’s identity in this manner appears to be a conspiracy to defame AMC,” Barot said.
Shop owners allege intimidation
Shop owners Pranav Modi and Nandish Modi said AMC had removed only additional construction outside their shops around two months ago during work linked to an iconic road.
However, they alleged that the latest team arrived suddenly, invoked AMC’s name, threatened them with legal action and demolished the shops.
“The earlier action was limited to removing extra construction. This time, men claiming to represent AMC arrived with security guards and bouncers and brought down the shops,” the owners alleged.
With the police probe underway, investigators are now trying to identify the men, trace the machinery and determine whether the Ahmedabad incident is linked to any private dispute.
Meanwhile, the Surat Nasirnagar case remains before the Gujarat High Court, making the Ahmedabad episode part of a wider Gujarat debate over unauthorised demolitions, civic impersonation and accountability.
