Gandhi Grandson's 30-Acre US Land Reclaimed After Legal Battle

A US court has ordered a Virginia resident to remove his encroachment from a 30-acre property in Warren County, Virginia, owned by the late Kanu Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi's grandson, and his wife Shiva Gandhi, following a legal battle led by Surat resident Parimal Desai. The verdict was delivered by Judge Daryl L. Funk of the Warren County Circuit Court in an order dated October 21.

According to the Times of India, the land dispute began when US national Gregory Black sent a legal notice to Parimal Desai's residence in Surat on January 10, 2025. Black had claimed ownership of the land under Virginia's adverse possession rule, citing continuous occupation since 2008 and pointing to features such as a cabin, trails, and tree stands.

Background and Legal Proceedings

• Property History: Kanu Gandhi and Shiva Gandhi purchased the land adjoining Shenandoah National Park in 1987. They returned to India in 2013 and spent their final years in South Gujarat. Kanu Gandhi passed away in Surat in November 2016, and his assets passed to his wife. Shiva Gandhi subsequently established a charitable trust in 2018. Following her death in 2020, Parimal Desai took charge as the managing trustee.
• Trust Actions: Desai visited the Virginia property in 2024, commissioned a survey costing $4,500, and got the will probated in a US court in 2025 to secure the land title in the trust's name.
• Court Battle: During the trial held from September 8 to 11, Desai contested Black's claims using GIS maps and evidence disproving exclusive and actual possession, noting that another woman was also found residing on the land.

Court Directives

• The court ruled in favor of the trust and directed Black to surrender possession of the land and cease all ownership claims.
• Black was ordered to clear his personal belongings, cabin, and hunting structures from the property within 30 days at his own expense.
• Additionally, Black was directed to pay $11,375 toward the fees of the Guardian ad Litem representing unknown heirs.

Readers can verify the original announcement through official court records of the Warren County Circuit Court in Virginia or reports published by the Times of India.