The Gujarat High Court has declared former India cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan an encroacher on government land in Vadodara, directing civic authorities to remove the encroachment. The single-judge bench of Justice Mona Bhatt issued the ruling last month, rejecting Pathan’s petition to retain control of a disputed plot adjacent to his bungalow in Vadodara’s Tandalja area.
The court stressed that celebrities cannot be above the law and exempting them sets a wrong precedent. “Just because of his celebrity status, Pathan cannot be shown any leniency. She also stated that granting any kind of leniency to Pathan will send a wrong message to the society,” the judgment said.
Citing Supreme Court principles, the court observed: “As a national representative and public figure, Pathan’s responsibility to follow the law is greater. Celebrities, due to their fame and public presence, have a profound impact on public behaviour and societal values. Granting concessions to such individuals despite flouting the law sends a wrong message to society and undermines public trust in the judicial system.”
The dispute dates back to 2012, when the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) issued a notice to Pathan asking him to vacate government land he had occupied since that year. Pathan had approached the VMC in 2012 seeking to purchase the open residential plot at market price, citing “security concerns for himself and his family as an international cricketer.”
In his petition, Pathan stated that he and his brother, former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan, should be permitted to purchase the land to ensure their family’s safety. “He also requested permission from the state chief minister to buy the plot on the grounds that he and his brother Irfan Pathan are both internationally renowned sports personalities and, considering their family’s security, the plot should be allotted to them,” the petition said.
The municipal authorities evaluated the request and forwarded it to the state government, which rejected the proposal in 2014. Despite the rejection, Pathan continued to occupy the property.
In 2024, after Pathan won the Lok Sabha election from Baharampur in West Bengal, the matter resurfaced and the VMC again issued a notice asking him to vacate the land. Pathan challenged this notice in the Gujarat High Court, but the bench found him to be in unauthorised possession.
Justice Bhatt’s order has now directed the civic body to act against the encroachment and ensure the property is vacated in accordance with law.
(With inputs from NDTV)
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