Ahmedabad, August 25, 2026
By Viral Tripathi, District Report, Indian Press Union

Weeks after a controversial demolition in Surat's Nasirnagar sparked public outrage, Gujarat has witnessed another flashpoint over an alleged civic-body-ordered demolition — this time in Ahmedabad, where two private security personnel now face criminal charges for falsely invoking the name of the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) during a shop demolition drive.

AMC Distances Itself, Points to Private Land Dispute

The controversy erupted after a video began circulating showing shops being razed in the Nana Chiloda locality, situated along the Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar highway. In the footage, individuals present at the site could reportedly be heard attributing the demolition to orders issued by the AMC.

The civic body was quick to reject the claim. According to Vishal Khanama, in-charge Deputy Municipal Commissioner for the North Zone, the land in question falls outside the AMC's jurisdiction altogether, coming instead under the ambit of the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation's (GIDC) Naroda Executive Authority. He clarified that no demolition order had been issued by the AMC, and that the action was, in fact, carried out at the instance of the property's private owner.

Case Registered Against Two Security Agency Employees

Acting on a complaint filed by Narendra Babu Patel, Town Development Office (TDO) Inspector for the North Zone, police booked Rajesh Shankar Yadav (32) and Kamal Manoj Pamnani (32), both employees of Rajpur Security Agency, on charges of impersonating a public servant.

Patel's complaint states that he came across the viral video around 3:45 pm on August 24, showing shops adjacent to a petrol pump in Nana Chiloda being brought down, with persons in the visuals claiming the exercise was being conducted under AMC's directive.

Site Inspection Reveals Mixed Picture: Some Shops Self-Demolished, Others Contested

Following the video's circulation, Patel and his superior, Deputy Estate Officer Vikram Katariya, visited the site to verify the claims first-hand. Their inspection revealed a more layered situation than the video suggested: three shop owners had voluntarily dismantled portions of their own structures that encroached onto the road. However, three additional shops located near the boundary of the Naroda GIDC estate had reportedly been demolished under circumstances the accused allegedly attributed — falsely, according to the AMC — to the civic body's intervention.

Based on these findings, the complainant approached the police and lodged a formal complaint, resulting in the two security personnel being charged under Sections 204 (impersonation of a public servant) and 54 (abetment) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Land's Ownership History at the Heart of the Dispute

Providing further context to the episode, Khanama explained that the underlying dispute stemmed from a private transaction rather than any civic action. The plot in question, he said, had originally been purchased from GIDC but was later auctioned by the Bank of Baroda after the previous owner defaulted on payments. The current owner, having legally acquired the property through this auction process, proceeded to have the shops on the premises demolished — a move that appears to have triggered friction with the tenants occupying them.

It was during this demolition, Khanama said, that security personnel deployed by the new owner were seen on video falsely crediting the AMC with issuing the demolition order — a claim the civic body has strongly refuted by initiating criminal proceedings against those responsible for invoking its name without authorisation.

Police to Investigate Motive Behind the Claim

Police Inspector B.M. Kataria of Naroda police station confirmed that both accused would be arrested and questioned to determine why they made the claim attributing the demolition to the AMC. Investigators are expected to examine whether the statement was made to deflect tenant resistance during the demolition or to lend the exercise an appearance of official sanction.

The AMC, for its part, has reiterated that the Nana Chiloda area falls squarely under GIDC Naroda's jurisdiction and that any suggestion of its involvement in the demolition is factually incorrect, prompting the civic body's decision to pursue legal action against the individuals responsible for the misrepresentation.

(Inputs from Naroda Police Station FIR and AMC North Zone officials)

Viral Tripathi is a District Report contributor with the Indian Press Union, covering civic and legal affairs in Ahmedabad.