The Ahmedabad Fire Brigade has issued a show-cause notice to Thaltej Fire Station divisional fire officer Swastik Bipinchandra Jadeja over alleged misconduct, indiscipline and the unauthorised use of a vehicle assigned to the station fire officer, according to a report by Nav Gujarat Samay – Ahmedabad.
The notice was issued after Jadeja allegedly took the station officer’s Bolero vehicle on October 16 without informing colleagues or making an entry in the station diary and fire control records. The report said he returned with the vehicle after approximately 15 to 17 hours and subsequently recorded that it had been taken for official work.
The vehicle assigned to Jadeja for government duties was reportedly separate from the station officer’s vehicle. The alleged failure to record the movement of the vehicle became a concern because municipal and fire-service vehicles need to remain traceable during operations. Unauthorised use can create administrative and legal complications if the vehicle is involved in an accident, misused or required during an emergency.
According to the report, the in-charge chief fire officer questioned Jadeja by telephone after learning about the vehicle movement. Jadeja allegedly argued with the senior officer and behaved in an allegedly inappropriate manner. The report further said that an entry was later made at the Thaltej Fire Station against the in-charge chief fire officer, which intensified the dispute within the department.
The matter was brought to the attention of the deputy municipal commissioner responsible for the fire brigade department. Following the deputy commissioner’s instructions, the in-charge chief fire officer served Jadeja the show-cause notice and directed him to submit an explanation within one day. The report did not state the final disciplinary action, if any, that would follow the response.
The report also carried allegations from fire brigade sources that Jadeja had taken the station officer’s vehicle to two or more garba venues on a Friday night and argued with organisers over entry passes. Those claims were presented as allegations and were not established through an independent finding in the supplied report. The report said that fire officer Jayesh Khadia had lodged a complaint against Jadeja, while Jadeja had submitted a four-page complaint in response.
The episode places attention on a basic administrative requirement in emergency services: every vehicle movement must be authorised and documented. Fire departments rely on accurate station diaries, control-room records and vehicle tracking to establish where equipment and personnel are located. The report also said that Jadeja’s own vehicle was fitted with a GPS device, which was cited in connection with the allegation that he had used the station officer’s vehicle.
The show-cause notice gives the officer an opportunity to respond before any further departmental decision is taken. The next formal step is expected to depend on the explanation submitted to the fire brigade authorities and any subsequent departmental inquiry or disciplinary action.
