Overview
- Justice Mauna M Bhatt dismissed Pathan’s petition and held that he cannot retain possession of the government-owned residential plot.
- The court directed the Vadodara Municipal Corporation to remove the encroachments and take strict action as required by law.
- The order underscores that celebrities are not above the law and says granting them leniency would erode public confidence.
- The dispute began in 2012 with Pathan’s request for a 99-year lease on a 978 sq m plot next to his Tandalja bungalow, after which he built a boundary wall without approval.
- The Gujarat government rejected the allotment proposal in June 2024 and instructed the civic body to clear the site, with enforcement now expected following the High Court’s order.