Gujarat High Court Says ‘Celebrities Aren’t Above the Law’, Holds Yusuf Pathan Liable for Land Encroachment

The Gujarat High Court has held former cricketer and present MP, Yusuf Pathan, guilty of land encroachment on public property. 

The dispute originated in 2012 when Pathan acquired a plot next to his bungalow by constructing a boundary wall citing security reasons, while his application for a lease for 99 years was still being considered by the municipal authorities and the State government.

The Court rejected Pathan's plea, concluding that he had no right to take possession of the land and that there was no proof on record to show that he was granted any such right.

The Court emphasised that celebrity status does not warrant leniency, cautioning that overlooking such conduct sends a wrong societal message.

[Yusuf Pathan v State of Gujarat and Anr.]