A swimming pool, bathtub, and large, spacious rooms were found inside an illegally built religious site that was demolished in Gujarat’s Jamnagar on Saturday, along with several other illegal structures.
Sources said that these luxury facilities were discovered at a place of worship located in Bachu Nagar Extension. The area has been under investigation by civic authorities for illegal construction of at least 294 houses, including four religious sites.
People had built these houses around 20-25 years ago and have been living there since then, the sources added. Some of these buildings were constructed in a way that blocked the Rangmati river’s flow, causing waterlogging in nearby residential areas during rains. Because of this problem, the municipality finally began demolishing the illegal buildings.
The demolition work involved 12 JCB machines, 3 Hitachi machines, and 13 tractors, with around 100 workers taking part.
One source said that four illegal religious structures were built on the site, covering over 11,000 square feet. Police were surprised to find such luxurious items inside the shrine.
The land where the demolition took place is estimated to be worth about ₹200 crore, the source added.
According to Superintendent of Police Premsukh Delu, 300 illegal structures were demolished on Saturday.