New Delhi: A five-member team of the Principal Senior Civil Judge Court Kutch came to Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) Rajkot circle to attach its office on 11 June. It’s the first time in India that a court has ordered the attaching of an ASI office.
The matter is related to the land acquisition in Dholavira, a UNESCO heritage site. This Harappan city in Gujarat falls under the Rajkot circle of the ASI.
“According to the court, we have not given proper compensation to the villagers from whom we acquired land for the conservation of the site,” said Nandini Bhattacharya Sahu, Joint Director General (monument) and spokesperson of ASI.
Sahu said ASI acquired the over 100-acre piece of land in 2004, and then ASI gave compensation. “But the villagers demanded more and went to the court for it. We have failed to give the amount, so the court ordered the attaching of our circle office,” said Sahu.
Dholavira is an important archaeological site at Khadirbet in Bhachau Taluka of Kutch District. Its name is from a modern-day village a kilometre south of it.
The site was accorded UNESCO World Heritage status in July 2021. The site was discovered in 1968 by the archaeologist Jagatpati Joshi. The ASI had started excavating Dholavira in 1989. The site was excavated extensively between 1990 to 2005 under archaeologist RS Bisht.
“Occupied between ca. 3000-1500 BCE, the archaeological site, one of the best preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia, comprises a fortified city and a cemetery. A sophisticated water management system demonstrates the ingenuity of the Dholavira people in their struggle to survive and thrive in a harsh environment,” reads the UNESCO website.
The acquisition was part of efforts to protect and develop the site, an important Indus Valley civilisation site in India.
In 2009, ASI started the acquisition of more than 100 acres of land.
Also read: ASI’s now calling researchers to crack a 100-year-old mystery—Indus Valley script
ASI’s request
On 11 June this year, after the court’s ruling, ASI director general requested the court in a written letter to give some time to the department. “The ASI has demanded a time of 15 days to pay back the money,” said Sahu.
“Today on 11/06/2025, a team of court officials (5 members) led by DP Pandya, Principal Senior Civil Court, Rajkot appeared at Rajkot Divisional Office for seizure of movable property in compliance with the seizure order number Regular Civil Tamil No. 1/2023 to 9/2023 issued by the Hon’ble Court in the Dholavira land acquisition case. Along with this, the opposition lawyer KS Negi and some landowners of Dholavira village were also present. During this, Court Officer DP Pandya had a telephonic discussion with the Director General of Archaeological Survey of India. In this discussion, on the basis of the assurance of the Director General, an agreement was reached for additional 15 days for payment,” reads the letter, which ThePrint has accessed.
ThePrint reached out to the superintending archaeologist of Rajkot circle, AMV Subramanyam, but he refused to comment.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)