Chandola Lake: Ten stores and two unlawful parking belonging to Gani Patharwala were demolished.
A violent turf war involving political figures, land mafia, and criminal syndicates has come to light as the City Crime Branch intensifies its investigation into illegal encroachments around Chandola Lake. The key players in this escalating conflict include politician Mehmood Khan alias Lallu Bihari, his son Fateh, and notorious land-grabber Gani Khan Patharwala.
Encroachments Mask Criminal Activities
According to crime branch sources, the fight is not over land development but over control of strategic encroachments that double as concealed parking spaces for illegally seized vehicles. These impounded vehicles were stored within the lakebed, completely outside of the police system.
On Thursday, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) launched a major crackdown, demolishing 10 unauthorized shops and two illegal parking zones operated by Gani Khan and his associate Kalu.
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“These encroachments weren’t accidental—they were part of an organized racket,” said a senior crime branch officer. “The criminals used settlements of Bangladeshi immigrants as surveillance shields, making it nearly impossible for outsiders or authorities to enter unnoticed.”
Political Cover and Forged IDs
Investigators also discovered that two more nearby settlements were illegally occupied by the same group. Alarmingly, evidence has surfaced of political letterheads being misused to assist illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in acquiring Indian identity documents, raising serious national security concerns.
CM Bhupendra Patel Launches Rs 644.72 Crore Development Projects in Panchmahals
In contrast to the criminal turmoil in Ahmedabad, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel led the Gujarat Gaurav Divas celebrations in Panchmahals, unveiling development initiatives worth Rs 644.72 crore.
During an event in Godhra, the CM inaugurated and laid foundation stones for 85 projects across health, infrastructure, and public welfare sectors. Key announcements included:
- A 100-bed sub-district hospital in Morva Hadaf under the Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana
- Conversion of 12 major roads into Garvi Gujarat High-Speed Corridors
- Inauguration of a new IG Police office in Godhra, built at a cost of Rs 5 crore
CM Patel also visited the Police Expo–2025 Arms Exhibition, featuring modern weaponry, signaling the state’s ongoing focus on law enforcement and security.
