The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) began demolishing two illegal floors (5th & 6th) of Salman Avenue, located opposite the city’s civic body office on Danapith Road. The illegal construction was carried out in 2015 after the building’s developer obtained a counterfeit No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
In the latest development, the Gujarat High Court has reserved its decision regarding the demolition of illegal construction. The court has ordered that the illegal fifth and sixth floors of the building be sealed and that police be deployed at the location to prevent their use. Additionally, the court has ordered a status quo on the demolition work until the bench issues its final order.
The demolition was initiated in the presence of Assistant Municipal Commissioner Milan Shah. Later, Congress MLA Imran Khedawala and AIMIM corporators staged a sit-in protest at the site, demanding a halt to the demolition. Despite pressure from the AIMIM corporators, Assistant Municipal Commissioner Shah stated that the demolition would proceed as planned, as there had been no court order to stop it. The assistant municipal commissioner was surrounded by protesting corporators, who continued to demand that the demolition be halted, even with senior police officials present.
While protesting the demolition on-site, Congress MLA Imran Khedawala expressed concern that, while the Estate Department is demolishing the two illegal floors in Jamalpur, many other illegal constructions across Ahmedabad remain untouched. He claimed that only this building is being targeted. An application has been filed in the Gujarat High Court, and Khedawala stated that they were seeking an hour’s time from the AMC. He added that local residents, along with his party, demand that the court hear the matter and temporarily halt the demolition until a decision is made.
The building, located just meters away from the AMC office in the city’s walled area, was constructed using a fraudulent NOC from ASI. In 2018, it was revealed that the NOC presented by the builder to the AMC was counterfeit. The ASI confirmed that no such NOC had been issued in 2015, contrary to the builder’s claim.