Abhishek Choudhary
On September 18, 2025 the Gujarat High Court has ruled against former India cricketer and sitting MP Yusuf Pathan in a land dispute with the Vadodara civic body. The case concerned an open plot beside his bungalow which belongs to the municipal corporation. Pathan had applied to purchase it years ago and even secured initial backing from the corporation, but the state government turned down the proposal. He continued to use the land despite that rejection, and eventually the corporation issued him a notice to clear the site.
Yusuf Pathan went to court, claiming that he had approached the authorities in the proper way and that he had remained in possession for many years without objection. He also pointed to his security needs as a public figure. The municipal corporation and the state government opposed his claim, arguing that the land remained public property and that no rights could flow from possession alone when the state had refused approval.
After hearing both sides, the court rejected Pathan’s petition and described him as an encroacher. The judges noted that public land cannot be retained simply because officials took time to act, nor can it be converted into private property on the strength of celebrity status or later offers to pay. His attempt to settle the matter by offering market value at this stage was also refused.
With this order, the municipal corporation has been asked to repossess the plot. The decision carries a wider message: government land is a community asset, and neither influence nor long silence by authorities can create ownership rights. The ruling is expected to strengthen the stand of civic bodies in similar disputes and shows the court’s resolve to protect public property from private claims.
Case Name: Yusuf Pathan v. Vadodara Municipal Corporation & State of Gujarat
Case Number: Special Civil Application (SCA) No. 9027 of 2024
Judge: Justice Mauna Bhatt (Single Judge Bench)
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