Ahmedabad: The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) today carried out the demolition of the illegal residence of notorious accused Rafik alias Vepari in the Dani Limda area, a day after his arrest in an extortion and intimidation case.

In an official statement, the civic body said that in the Baherampura (East) ward, an unauthorised residential structure comprising ground floor to second floor and spread over approximately 2,500 sq ft was demolished. The illegal construction was located at revenue survey number 398+164 of Town Planning Scheme 38/1 (Dani Limda East), at Fazalnagar near Shahe Alam Masjid, Shah Alam Nagar section, close to the SBI helpdesk in Hariyalinagar.

The AMC said notices had earlier been issued under the provisions of the Gujarat Provincial Municipal Corporations (GPMC) Act, 1949. However, as the owner failed to remove the unauthorised structure voluntarily, demolition action was carried out with police protection provided by the Dani Limda police station.

The operation involved three demolition vehicles, one gas cutter machine, 15 breaker machines and around 30 labourers deployed through a private contractor.

The demolition followed the arrest of Rafik Vepari in an extortion case registered on the basis of a complaint filed by Taslim Alam. The complainant alleged that the accused had demanded ₹1.5 lakh from his father and repeatedly threatened to defame the family if the money was not paid.

According to police, Rafik Vepari had allegedly been threatening multiple individuals, including businessmen and media personnel, demanding large sums of money while abusing and defaming them on social media platforms. Investigators said the accused created multiple social media accounts to upload objectionable videos and issue threats before fleeing to different locations.

“He warned that he would use abusive language, circulate defamatory content and destroy our reputation on the streets,” the complainant stated, adding that several others had received similar threats.

Following the complaint lodged at the Isanpur Police Station, police launched an investigation and arrested the accused from Unjha in North Gujarat after sustained efforts. Police said nearly 20 criminal cases are registered against him.

The complainant further alleged that the accused had created an atmosphere of fear in the locality. “People were scared because he used to threaten everyone, saying he would make videos viral and then disappear to another city,” he said.

He also accused Rafik Vepari of misusing the term “news” on social media by branding his posts as “Rafik News” to defame individuals and media organisations, demanding strict legal action against such misuse.

Meanwhile, civic authorities said demolition action at the accused’s residence was taken as part of administrative proceedings following police action. Further legal steps will be decided based on the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

Police confirmed that inquiries are continuing to identify additional victims and examine the accused’s social media activity for any further offences.

Notably, in June last year, the Leader of the Opposition in the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, Shahzad Khan Pathan, had also filed a complaint alleging that Rafik Vepari threatened to kill him during a Facebook Live. DeshGujarat