Gujarat High Court: Yusuf Pathan Liable for Land Encroachment

The Gujarat High Court held former cricketer and Member of Parliament Yusuf Pathan liable for encroaching on government land in Vadodara. The dispute arose over a plot adjacent to his residence in Tandalja, which he sought to lease in 2012, citing security reasons, for 99 years. Despite his application, the government rejected the proposal in 2014. Nonetheless, Pathan constructed a boundary wall and occupied the land while the matter was pending. Later, when the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) issued notice for encroachment and cleared the way to repossess the land, Pathan challenged the action. The High Court dismissed his plea: it found that there was no allotment order, no payment, and no right conveyed to him to occupy the plot. His possession or his celebrity status did not justify the encroachment. The Court emphasized that celebrities hold higher responsibility and cannot be shown leniency in law, as granting exceptions undermines public trust. It therefore ordered that Pathan be removed from possession, the land be repossessed, and that the encroachment not be permitted.