JDA Suspends Inspector for Issuing Encroachment Notice on Shiva Temple, Commissioner Escapes Action

Jaipur: The Jaipur Development Authority (JDA) has suspended Enforcement Inspector Arun Kumar Poonia, a police inspector rank officer posted in Zone-7, after he issued an encroachment notice to a Shiva temple located on Gandhi Path, Vaishali Nagar. The notice, which cited encroachments on public land, sparked protests from local residents, eventually drawing the attention of the state government.

According to the JDA, the notice was issued on November 21, 2025, following a field survey conducted under the authority of the Zone-7 Commissioner. The survey revealed that the temple’s boundary wall extended 1.59 meters and 1.06 meters into the public road, qualifying as encroachment. Inspector Poonia issued the notice strictly based on the report prepared by Commissioner Abhishek Goyal, in compliance with the order of the Rajasthan High Court (DB Civil Contempt Petition No. 658/2024 dated September 11, 2025).

While Enforcement Inspector Poonia faced suspension, the Zone-7 Commissioner Abhishek Goyal, who had prepared the encroachment report, was not held accountable. Yashpal Lega, a member of the Tejoday Foundation, criticized the government, stating that Poonia had been made a “scapegoat” despite acting in accordance with legal orders. Lega emphasized that if any action was warranted, it should have been directed at Commissioner Goyal, who prepared the encroachment report.

The incident highlights the administrative and political sensitivity surrounding encroachment actions involving religious sites in Jaipur, raising questions about accountability within the JDA hierarchy.