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Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court has declared former Team India cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan an encroacher on government land in Vadodara.

A single-judge bench of Justice Mona Bhatt rejected Pathan’s plea seeking to retain control of the plot adjacent to his bungalow in Vadodara’s Tandalja area.

The court ordered the cricketer-turned-politician to vacate the disputed plot, and observed that celebrities cannot be above the law and giving them exemption sets a wrong precedent.

Justice Bhatt cited Supreme Court principles while issuing the order.

“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 order said.

2012 land dispute

The dispute over the land dates back to 2012, when Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) issued a notice asking Yusuf to vacate the government plot he had occupied earlier that year.

Yusuf challenged the notice in Gujarat High Court, and requested permission to purchase the plot jointly with his brother Irfan Pathan, another former India cricketer, to ensure the family’s security.

“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 argued.

Municipal authorities forwarded his request to the state government, which ultimately declined the proposal in 2014.

Despite the rejection, Yusuf continued to occupy the property, leading to further legal proceedings that culminated in the recent High Court order.