Surat (PTI): Around 20-25 families were evacuated and shifted to a hotel after a 10-11 feet deep cavity was formed on the road along the metro rail corridor in Shahpore area of Gujarat's Surat district, officials said on Thursday.

Experts from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) and Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) are monitoring the site along with metro rail personnel, they added.

The cavity was reported on Wednesday while metro rail construction was underway.

Officials said 20-25 families of nearby buildings were temporarily evacuated and accommodated in a hotel as a precautionary measure.

"There are a lot of underground pipes and cables in this cavity area, and the backfilled soil in this area is found to be left out very loose during the execution of the utility work by agencies. This loose soil has settled, resulting in cavities. The TBM has already passed through this area and is presently 20 m away from this location," said an official release.

The cavity is mainly on the road, and there is no settlement or distress found in the nearby buildings as of now, but as a precautionary measure, these nearby buildings are vacated temporarily, the release added.

"The building settlement is being regularly monitored round the clock. The Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Limited (GMRCL) has also called experts from SVNIT to assess the situation as an additional precaution. The loose soil surrounding the cavity was excavated, following which concrete filling was carried out to stabilise the area," the release informed.

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Bajpe: Police have arrested a youth for allegedly posting derogatory and defamatory content against the Bajpe police on social media.

The arrested accused has been identified as Abhishek M. (23), a resident of Katipalla, Surathkal.

According to the police, Abhishek posted a photograph of Bajpe Nisarga Hotel on his Instagram account mr_a_titude_22, alleging that accused persons in a murder case under the jurisdiction of the Bajpe police station were being treated “like royalty” by the police and were being served beef meals from the hotel every day. In his post, he further accused the police of colluding with criminals and misusing their authority, stating that public trust in the police was being betrayed.

Following which, the Bajpe police registered a case and arrested the accused.

Police records reveal that Abhishek is already facing multiple criminal cases. A case of murder, attempt to murder, assault and robbery has been registered against him at the Surathkal police station. At the same time, a robbery case has also been registered at the Kaup police station.

After his arrest, Abhishek was handed over to the custody of the CEN police for further investigation. He was later produced before a court, police said.