The Gujarat High Court ruled that TMC MP Yusuf Pathan illegally occupied government land in Vadodara and must vacate it. The court said, “Granting concessions to such individuals despite flouting the law sends a wrong message to society.”
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has given a strong order against former Indian cricketer and current Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan, calling him an illegal occupant of government land in Vadodara. The court directed that he must vacate the disputed land next to his bungalow in the city’s Tandalja area.
The ruling was passed by a single-judge bench headed by Justice Mona Bhatt last month. The court dismissed Pathan’s petition where he had asked for permission to keep the land under his control.
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While pronouncing the order, the High Court made it clear that no special treatment can be given to famous people.
The court said that the law applies equally to everyone and if exemptions are given to celebrities, it creates a very harmful example. The bench pointed out Supreme Court rulings on the same point, saying that giving relaxation to public figures who break the law would set a wrong message.
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 goes back to the year 2012. At that time, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) issued a notice to Yusuf Pathan asking him to vacate the government land he had been occupying.
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Instead of leaving the land, Pathan went to the Gujarat High Court and challenged the municipal notice.
After hearing the case, the court concluded that Pathan was in “unauthorised possession” of the plot and therefore cannot continue staying on the land.
In his petition, Yusuf Pathan had argued that both he and his younger brother, former India fast bowler Irfan Pathan, needed the plot for their safety and protection of their family. He said that the state should allow them to purchase the land officially.
The petition recorded his words:
“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.”
Following this request, the Vadodara civic body assessed the matter and later sent it to the Gujarat state government. But in 2014, the state government clearly rejected Pathan’s demand to buy the land. Despite that rejection, Yusuf Pathan continued to occupy the property.
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This led to further disputes and eventually reached the High Court again, which has now ordered him to vacate the site.
Through this judgment, the Gujarat High Court has once again underlined that fame, political position, or celebrity status cannot be used as a shield against the law.
The decision sends a strong message that the rule of law is supreme and must be followed by every individual equally, regardless of their social standing.
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