Operation Chandola Lake: Demolition continues, Bangladeshis who fled Ahmedabad nabbed in Vadodara
Updated: May 2nd, 2025
As Ahmedabad’s massive anti-encroachment drive around Chandola Lake entered its fourth day, city officials on Thursday cleared an additional 1,000 square metres of government land using 50 trucks and dumpers. The total area cleared so far exceeds 1.5 lakh sq m, including properties allegedly built and rented out illegally by local don Lallu Bihari.
Meanwhile, the demolition has caused Bangladeshis to flee the city. In Vadodara’s Padra taluka, police detained 30 individuals—suspected to be undocumented Bangladeshi nationals—who had reportedly fled Ahmedabad after the demolitions. The group included six men, nine women, and 19 children. Separately, nine more suspected Bangladeshis were apprehended at Vadodara railway station. Authorities have launched an investigation into missing or forged documents linked to the detainees.
Back in Ahmedabad, tensions remain high as local residents report that some of the displaced families are now setting up makeshift homes in Ganesh Nagar, Lambha ward—just 3 km from the cleared Chandola site.
Former Lambha sarpanch Ramanbhai Bharwad claimed that over 5,000 huts already exist on government land there and warned that the number is likely to increase. Residents allege that people have been arriving in the area, mainly during the night, bringing belongings and constructing temporary shelters.
Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken so far by local councillors Jasodaben Amilayar, Dr Chandni Patel, Kalu Bharwad, or Manasingh Solanki. Narol Police, under whose jurisdiction the area falls, has also yet to initiate any inquiry, fuelling public frustration.
The demolition drive—dubbed “Operation Chandola Lake”—had picked up pace earlier this week after the Ahmedabad Crime Branch arrested Fateh Mohammed Pathan, son of alleged land mafia don Lallu Bihari. Pathan was remanded to 14-day custody for allegedly using fake documents to rent out dozens of illegal dwellings to Bangladeshi nationals.
New revelations are also surfacing about Lallu Bihari’s vast network. Crime Branch officers discovered that he has four wives—Jamilabanu, Firozabanu, Tamanna, and Rukhsanabanu—residing in the Danilimda area. Police have recorded the women’s statements.
Searches at their homes led to the seizure of a money-counting machine, cash, gold jewellery, and a cache of rental agreements and forged property papers. Police believe these documents could reveal deeper financial irregularities and possibly wider collusion.
However, in a surprising development, all bulldozers and dumpers were withdrawn from the Chandola Lake site two and a half days into the operation, bringing the demolition to an abrupt halt. Officials have not explained the pause, prompting speculation of political interference.
As the investigation unfolds and displaced families seek new settlements, authorities now face mounting questions: Who enabled years of illegal construction? How were utilities like electricity secured with forged documents? And who ordered the bulldozers to stop?
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