Illegal structures linked to notorious gang razed in Jamnagar

Rajkot: Eleven lavish bungalows and other structures constructed by a gang of history-sheeters on forcibly occupied land were razed in the Bedi area of Jamnagar city on Thursday.

The Jamnagar district administration and municipal corporation carried out the demolition drive against the structures belonging to history-sheeter Razak Saicha and his associates.

Jamnagar superintendent of police (SP) Premsukh Delu said that the gang was involved in criminal activities, including the murder of Advocate Harun Paleja, extortion, and land grabbing. "The illegally occupied land was used to construct 11 lavish bungalows, which were demolished. To ensure law and order, a heavy police presence was deployed at the site," Delu added.

Jamnagar collector Ketan Thakkar added that the structures were built illegally on municipal land in the Bedi area. The estimated market value of the reclaimed land is between Rs 10 crore to Rs 12 crore. With the encroachments cleared, the govt has taken possession of the land.

The demolition comes in the wake of the March 2024 murder of 55-year-old senior advocate and Congress leader Harun Paleja. He was attacked with sharp weapons in Bedi while returning home from court on his bike.

Jamnagar city police registered a case of murder against 15 members of the Saicha gang for their involvement. The gang's notoriety extended beyond land grabbing as they are also accused of driving a woman teacher to suicide, a case in which Paleja was representing her. His murder was believed to be an act of revenge by the gang.