Former India cricketer and Trinamool Congress MP Yusuf Pathan is set to receive a disputed plot of land next to his family home in Vadodara, Gujarat, following years of legal and administrative wrangling. Under a newly approved arrangement, half the land will be allotted to him as a government gift, while he will have to pay for the remaining portion.
The development comes months after Pathan joined a group of Trinamool Congress MPs who broke away from the party and merged with the little-known NCPI in June, aligning themselves with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Pathan had won the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal in 2024 on a Trinamool Congress ticket.
Half the plot to be given as a gift
The disputed property, measuring around 1,000 square metres, is located in Vadodara’s Tandalja locality, adjacent to the house where Pathan lives with his brother Irfan, their families and their parents.
According to government sources cited by NDTV, the state administration has worked out a framework to resolve the long-standing dispute. Under the arrangement, half the plot’s value will be covered under special welfare provisions for distinguished international sportspersons who have represented India from Gujarat.
The other half is valued at around Rs 10 crore, which Pathan will have to pay under the approved formula. The state revenue and municipal departments are expected to coordinate the formal transfer of the land.
Local civic representatives said municipal assets are generally put up for public auction, but exemptions under sports promotion policies can allow direct settlements in certain cases.
Land dispute dates back to 2012
Pathan first sought a 99-year lease of the plot in 2012, citing security concerns linked to his status as an international cricketer. Although local municipal proposals initially considered transferring the land for residential security purposes, senior state authorities rejected the move, citing the need for transparent bidding for public assets.
The dispute resurfaced after Pathan won the Berhampur Lok Sabha seat in 2024. The BJP-run Vadodara Municipal Corporation issued him a notice to remove what it described as an “encroachment”. Pathan challenged the notice in the high court.
Court proceedings paved the way for settlement
The high court recently questioned the occupation of municipal land without a final allotment or proper financial clearance. With the court raising concerns over the arrangement and the possibility of penalties, Pathan’s legal representatives unconditionally withdrew the pending appeals.
The withdrawal opened the way for fresh administrative deliberations, culminating in the latest arrangement.
Authorities have maintained that the decision recognises Pathan’s contribution to Indian cricket. However, the timing has drawn attention, coming months after his political switch.
Pathan played his last One-Day International and T20 match for India in March 2012. He represented Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League from 2011 to 2017.