‘Unauthorised’ demolitions in Surat: Suspended Executive Engineer claims he was instructed by Municipal Commissioner, submits WhatsApp messages as evidence

In a major development in the controversial Nasirnagar demolition case in Surat, suspended Executive Engineer Sujal Prajapati has moved the Gujarat High Court challenging his suspension and submitted alleged WhatsApp chats with Municipal Commissioner M. Nagarajan, claiming the May 30, 2026, demolition of nearly 100 structures was carried out on direct instructions from the civic chief. The chats, which have gone viral on social media, are being cited as evidence that the operation was planned and monitored at the highest level of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), contradicting the civic body’s earlier stand before the court that no authority had authorised the demolition.

The demolition took place on May 30, 2026, in the Nasirnagar area. Around 100 shanties and structures, described as encroachments on a 40-foot TP Road laid by the SMC, were razed with heavy police deployment. The action occurred during what was officially described as a “physical demarcation exercise,” though no formal order authorising full-scale demolition had been issued. Initially, the SMC denied any role in the operation, terming it mysterious. Commissioner Nagarajan filed an affidavit in the Gujarat High Court stating that no order had been passed by any authority directing the demolition and that an internal inquiry had been initiated after complaints were received.⁠

Following an internal inquiry, the SMC suspended five officials on July 1, 2026 — Executive Engineers Sujal Prajapati and Jayang Ramjiwala, Deputy Engineer Arpan Parmar, Assistant Engineer Monik Gadhiya, and Junior Engineer Naresh Galchar — and ordered a departmental probe. A group of affected residents approached the Gujarat High Court seeking accountability and rehabilitation. The High Court had orally observed that the demolition appeared prima facie illegal and directed that the displaced families be rehabilitated, while also seeking affidavits from the Commissioner and the State government.

In his fresh petition before the High Court, Sujal Prajapati has claimed he was merely following superior orders and was present at the site solely on the instructions of Commissioner Nagarajan. He has placed screenshots of WhatsApp conversations as evidence.

According to the screenshots, a message forwarded by Nagarajan on May 21, 2026, detailed the location in Ward No. 7 near Chandrashekhar Azad Bridge and instructed that the road be opened by removing encroachments, with the note “Complete this at the earliest”. Prajapati replied “Yes sir.” Nagarajan also messaged about coordinating with the central zone.

On May 29, a PDF file named ‘Road Surface’ was reportedly sent, giving the go-ahead. After the demolition on May 30 evening, Prajapati sent videos and images captioned “After,” to which Nagarajan replied “OK.” Post-demolition communication continued through calls and shared news links, including one about statements by the original landowner.

Prajapati has further alleged in his affidavit that the entire operation was under constant monitoring from higher authorities until the matter reached the High Court, after which officials distanced themselves. He claims he was summoned late at night before the inquiry committee the next morning and suspended the following day, describing the suspension as a “colourable exercise of power” triggered only after judicial scrutiny began. If the High Court petition had not been filed, he argues, the demolition and road widening would have proceeded without any action against him. A mystery remains over who originally sent the detailed forwarded message to the Commissioner on May 21, which Nagarajan then passed on to Prajapati.⁠

Commissioner M. Nagarajan has refused to comment on the matter, stating it is sub judice. In his earlier affidavit in the main proceedings, he maintained that he was unaware of any order authorising the demolition and had initiated an inquiry upon receiving complaints, leading to the suspensions.

Hearing the matter, Justice Niral Mehta of the Gujarat High Court has orally directed the SMC to file a detailed affidavit explaining the WhatsApp messages in unequivocal terms, specifically why the Commissioner forwarded the message, what his additional remarks signified, and the context of the communications. The court has indicated it is not inclined to accept hasty oral explanations and has sought a formal reply from the civic body on Prajapati’s allegations.

The main petition filed by the affected residents is scheduled for further hearing, with the broader case now under close judicial scrutiny.

The latest revelations have intensified the debate over accountability in the “mysterious” Nasirnagar demolition, with questions being raised about decision-making processes within the Surat Municipal Corporation and the chain of command.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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