Yusuf Pathan Withdraws Gujarat HC Appeal Over Disputed Vadodara Municipal Plot

Former India cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan has withdrawn his appeal before the Gujarat High Court challenging the rejection of his proposed allotment of a 978-square-metre Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) plot, after the civic body failed to respond to his request to pursue the claim under a policy for international sportspersons.

Pathan’s counsel, Senior Advocate Shalin Mehta, told a Division Bench on Monday that the cricketer had instructed him to withdraw the appeal after waiting for a response from the VMC.

“We were waiting for the Corporation to respond. We are saying that there is a circular which allows international cricketers to be given a plot… I’ll withdraw it now because I have not heard anything from them,” Mehta submitted.

He later told the Bench that he had taken instructions from Pathan to withdraw the case, adding that any further resolution would have to take place outside the court.

The court subsequently recorded the submission and ordered that the matter “stands dismissed as withdrawn”.

Dispute Over 978-Square-Metre Plot

The dispute centres on Final Plot No. 90 of Tandalja Town Planning Scheme No. 22, a 978-square-metre parcel located next to the Pathan family’s residence in Vadodara.

In March 2012, Pathan approached the VMC seeking allotment of the open municipal plot, citing security concerns arising from the public profile of himself and his brother, former India cricketer Irfan Pathan.

The proposal envisaged a 99-year lease without a public auction. The VMC Standing Committee and General Board approved the proposal, following which the land was valued at Rs 57,270 per square metre. The premium worked out to around Rs 5.6 crore, and Pathan subsequently expressed his willingness to pay the amount.

However, because the proposed direct allotment sought to bypass the public auction process, it required approval from the Gujarat government's Urban Development Department.

The state government rejected the proposal in June 2014.

VMC Later Alleged Encroachment

The VMC subsequently alleged that Pathan had fenced and occupied the plot despite the allotment not being completed.

In June 2024, shortly after Pathan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Baharampur in West Bengal, the civic body issued him a notice asking him to remove the alleged encroachment.

Pathan challenged the notice before the Gujarat High Court.

In August 2025, a single judge upheld the state government's decision rejecting the proposed allotment, holding that prolonged possession of the municipal land without payment did not create a legal right over the property.

Pathan then filed an appeal before a Division Bench in February 2026.

HC Questioned Possession Of Public Land

During hearings in June, the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal questioned how Pathan had taken physical possession of public land without completing the allotment formalities or paying for it.

The court orally observed that occupation of public land without authority of law could not be treated as ordinary use and indicated that the period of alleged occupation would have to be considered while determining any damages.

Pathan's counsel subsequently sought time to explore relief under a 1999 Gujarat government policy relating to allotment of land to international sportspersons.

The Bench granted the request but cautioned that continued occupation could increase Pathan's potential financial liability.

VMC Plot Valued At Nearly Rs 20.5 Crore

While the appeal was pending, the VMC moved towards valuing the disputed plot for a possible auction.

The Standing Committee approved a valuation of Rs 2.10 lakh per square metre, putting the estimated value of the 978-square-metre parcel at nearly Rs 20.5 crore.

The proposed valuation led to objections from citizen groups, who questioned the move to proceed with an auction while the land remained under disputed occupation.

The Vishwamitri Bachao Samiti argued that the alleged encroachment should first be removed and physical possession recovered before the plot was offered for public bidding.

The group also estimated that charges for the alleged 14-year occupation could amount to around Rs 7.5 crore, based on the VMC's prescribed rate of Rs 15 per square metre per day for temporary use of open town-planning plots. The figure is the group's calculation and is not an assessed municipal demand.

General Board Returns Valuation Proposal

The valuation issue also came up before the VMC General Board, which questioned whether the alleged encroachment should be addressed before the valuation process was taken forward.

The resolution was subsequently returned to Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu for reconsideration.

The Commissioner declined to comment on the matter.

With Pathan's appeal now withdrawn, any further action concerning the disputed plot, including its possession, valuation or possible allotment, will have to be pursued separately between the concerned parties and authorities.