- Special sportsperson provisions allow settlement despite timing questions.
Former India cricketer Yusuf Pathan is set to receive half of a disputed plot in Vadodara as a gift from the Gujarat government, while paying an estimated Rs 10 crore for the remaining portion. The development comes two months after Pathan and several other Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs reportedly left the party and merged with the Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI). The proposed settlement concerns a 978-square-metre plot owned by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC). Pathan had been served an encroachment notice over the land in June 2024, shortly after he won the Baharampur Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal on a TMC ticket.
Yusuf Pathan’s Land Dispute Dates Back To 2012
Pathan first approached the authorities in 2012, seeking a 99-year lease of the land adjacent to his family’s residence in Vadodara’s Tandalja locality. He cited security concerns linked to his status as an international cricketer.
His brother, former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan, also lives in the family home with his family and parents.
Although municipal-level proposals initially considered transferring the plot for residential security purposes, senior state authorities subsequently rejected the move, citing the need for transparency when disposing of public property.
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How Gujarat Government’s Proposed Settlement Works
According to the NDTV report, the state administration has finalised a mechanism to settle the dispute through a special arrangement.
Under the reported proposal, Pathan will receive 50 per cent of the plot’s value as a government gift. He will have to pay approximately Rs 10 crore for the remaining half, based on the valuation and the formula approved for the settlement.
Government sources cited in the report said the arrangement draws on special welfare provisions for distinguished international sportspersons who have represented India and hail from Gujarat.
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The state revenue and municipal departments have been assigned the task of coordinating the formalities required to complete the transfer.
While municipal properties are generally disposed of through public auctions, exemptions under sports promotion policies can allow direct allotments in specific circumstances, the report said.
VMC Issued Encroachment Notice After 2024 Election Win
The dispute gained political attention in June 2024, when the BJP-controlled VMC issued Pathan a notice asking him to remove the alleged encroachment.
The notice came days after the former cricketer won the Baharampur constituency in West Bengal in the Lok Sabha elections as a TMC candidate.
Pathan challenged the municipal action in the Gujarat High Court, contesting the authorities’ position on the property.
The matter subsequently faced further judicial scrutiny, with the High Court raising concerns about the occupation of municipal land without a completed allotment process or the necessary financial clearances.
Amid the legal proceedings and warnings from the court, Pathan’s legal representatives unconditionally withdrew the pending appeals, clearing the way for the administration to consider a settlement.
Pathan’s Political Exit Brings Fresh Attention To Decision
The proposed land transfer has attracted attention because of its timing. In June 2026, Pathan was among a group of TMC MPs who reportedly broke away from the party and merged with the NCPI, around two months before the latest reported resolution.
The political shift followed the BJP’s return to power in West Bengal, adding another dimension to the timing of the decision on the long-pending land dispute.
Authorities have reportedly justified the settlement by pointing to Pathan’s contribution to Indian cricket and the provisions available for distinguished sportspersons. However, the timing has also prompted questions about the relationship between political developments and administrative decisions.
Pathan last represented India in an ODI and a T20 international in March 2012. He later played for the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League from 2011 to 2017.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
