Surat, Oct. 30: A court in the United States has ruled in favour of a charitable trust linked to Kanu Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, in a dispute over 30 acres of land in Virginia. The court ordered a resident occupying the property to vacate the land and remove temporary structures.
The case was pursued by Parimal Desai of Surat, the managing trustee representing the trust established by Kanu Gandhi and his wife, Shiva Gandhi. The property is located near Shenandoah National Park in Warren County, Virginia.
Kanu Gandhi Trust Wins 30-Acre Virginia Land Dispute
According to Desai, Kanu Gandhi purchased the 30-acre property in 1987. He and his wife returned to India in 2013 and spent their later years in Gujarat.
Kanu Gandhi died in Surat in November 2016. According to his will, his assets were transferred to his wife, Shiva Gandhi. She established a charitable trust in 2018 and registered her will in connection with it. Shiva Gandhi died in 2020, after which Desai became the managing trustee.
Desai told a media outlet that he received a notice from a US resident, Gregory Black, on January 10, 2025. Black claimed that he had been occupying the Virginia property for 15 years.
However, Desai said Black could not establish his claim in court. Black reportedly argued that he had lived on the land since 2008 and had made changes to the property.
Court Rules in Trust’s Favour
Desai said he first visited Virginia in 2024 and spent around $4,500 to conduct a survey of the property. He later submitted Kanu Gandhi’s will before the US court in 2025.
According to Desai, the property title was subsequently transferred to the trust. He also said the trust intended to use its assets to conduct voluntary programmes and promote Gandhian philosophy.
After proceedings lasting around 20 months, Judge Daryl L. Funk ruled in Desai’s favour on October 21. The court ordered Black to vacate the property and remove temporary structures erected on the land.
Desai said the funds and properties associated with the trust would support initiatives aimed at spreading Mahatma Gandhi’s principles
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