Gujarat MLA's Son Fined Rs 25,000 For Calling Fire Engine To Clean His House

The Devgadh Baria municipality in Gujarat has penalised Balvantbhai Bachubhai Khabad, the son of local MLA Bachubhai M Khabad, with a fine of Rs 25,000 after he used a fire tender under false emergency claims to wash the exterior of his private house.

The October 4 incident sparked controversy when it was reported that the house at Pipero village, under the name of the MLA's son, did not catch fire. However, a fire tender was dispatched there under the premise of an emergency call, only to be utilised for washing the exterior of the house.

Balvantbhai has been asked to submit the fine within three days. The official warning explicitly states that failure to deposit the penalty within the stipulated timeframe will compel the administration to initiate further legal proceedings, including potential police action, in accordance with the law.

Official documents and departmental reports accessed by NDTV showed that Municipal President Dharmesh Kalal had contacted the fire station over the phone, stating there was an emergency fire call at the MLA's home.

On-duty fire personnel took verbal clearance from the Chief Officer before dispatching the heavy vehicle. Upon arrival, they discovered the tender was being deployed for residential cleaning rather than combating a fire. After halting the operation and initially collecting a spot fine of Rs 2,700, the crew returned the vehicle and submitted detailed internal reports regarding the misuse.

The formal notice issued under the latest update invokes the Gujarat Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act, 2013, citing sections 39 and 44, which penalise providing false information and misguiding the fire department.

Opposition parties, including Congress, are demanding a case against the MLA for misusing the power, and pushing for deeper accountability regarding the decision making process.

The party is demanding clarity on whether the deployment was processed through regular administrative protocols or phone instructions, while also calling for formal police complaints against all individuals responsible for the misuse of public utility resources.