Ahmedabad, June 11 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has demolished an unauthorised structure known as Zubeda House, allegedly built on encroached government land by history-sheeter Nazeer Vora, officials said.

The demolition took place on Tuesday under heavy police presence in the Juhapura area to avoid any disturbance to public order.

According to officials, the structure stood on nearly 20,000 square feet of prime government land along the Juhapura main road.

Vora had reportedly developed the space into a lavish farmhouse, equipped with children’s play areas and facilities often used for weddings and festive events, turning the public land into a private commercial enterprise.

“This property was illegally used for rental events for years, despite it being public land,” a senior civic official said, highlighting the commercial exploitation of the encroached land.

Zubeda House, considered a local landmark due to its prominent location, had become a symbol of unchecked encroachment.

Authorities said that Vora had previously constructed a two-storey shopping complex opposite the farmhouse, which was demolished in an earlier operation.

Vora, a well-known individual in the city’s criminal landscape, has more than 29 serious cases registered against him, including charges of murder, attempted murder, extortion, kidnapping, and land grabbing.

AMC officials described Tuesday’s demolition as part of a broader drive to dismantle illegal structures and curb the influence of land mafias across Ahmedabad.

“This sends out a strong and clear message that illegal occupation of public land will not be tolerated, no matter how influential the individual is,” said a senior AMC officer on the condition of anonymity.

Authorities have initiated further inquiries to identify additional illegal constructions allegedly linked to Vora, with more actions expected in the coming weeks.

In 2025, Ahmedabad witnessed a significant uptick in demolition drives as part of a citywide crackdown on illegal constructions and land encroachments.

The largest and most high-profile operation took place around Chandola Lake, where the AMC launched a two-phase demolition campaign.

In the first phase alone, nearly 1.5 lakh square metres of land were cleared, with nearly 4,000 unauthorised structures, including homes, warehouses, and shops demolished.

The second phase, carried out in May this year, cleared another 2.5 lakh square metres and removed about 8,500 more encroachments, bringing the total number of demolished structures in the Chandola area to more than 12,500.

These anti-demolition drives were carried out under tight police security and have displaced thousands of families, many of whom were from low-income or migrant communities.

While the AMC has proposed housing for residents eligible under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) scheme, many affected families have reported receiving little to no notice before the eviction.

Another major demolition occurred near Malek Saban Lake in Bapunagar, where around 450 illegal structures were brought down over a 15,200 square metre area.

Backed by a team of more than 800 municipal and police personnel, the operation was completed swiftly and aimed at reclaiming public land around the water body.

Similarly, in the Akbarnagar area of Bapunagar, more than 400 temporary huts and makeshift houses were demolished in under two hours, following prior eviction notices served by AMC officials.

–IANS

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