Gujarat High Court Slams Yusuf Pathan Over Illegal Land Encroachment

Vadodara: Former Indian cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan has come under legal fire after the Gujarat High Court ruled against his encroachment of a municipal plot adjacent to his bungalow in Vadodara’s Tandalja area.

Pathan had requested the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) to allot him the 978 sq. meter plot in 2012, citing family safety concerns. While VMC initially approved the lease for 99 years, the state government denied permission in 2014, citing procedural violations due to the absence of a public auction. 

Despite the rejection, Pathan fenced off the land and continued to occupy it. In response, VMC issued a notice earlier this year demanding its immediate vacation, after that Pathan to move the High Court.

In a strongly worded judgment, Justice Mauna Bhatt dismissed Pathan’s plea, stating: “You are an encroacher. Readiness to pay now cannot legalise illegal possession.”

The court noticed that celebrity status or public office does not grant immunity, and ordered the VMC to remove the encroachment without delay.

A VMC spokesperson confirmed the timeline saying, “A few years ago, Yusuf Pathan requested the plot. The state government denied us permission to allot land, so Yusuf moved the Gujarat High Court, which ruled in our favour.”

The ruling has been hailed as a landmark affirmation of equal accountability, reinforcing that public land cannot be privatized through influence or post-facto payments.