Reported by The Times of India
Surat: A US court has ordered a Virginia resident to remove his encroachment from land owned by the late Kanu Gandhi, Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, and his wife Shiva Gandhi, after a 20-month legal battle led by Parimal Desai from Surat.
The dispute involved 30 acres of land adjoining Shenandoah National Park in Warren County, Virginia, which the Gandhi couple bought in 1987. During their final years in South Gujarat, they created a charitable trust and transferred their assets to it. Desai now serves as managing trustee.
Talking to TOI, Parimal Desai said, “It began when US national Gregory Black sent a legal notice to my residence on Jan 10, 2025. Black claimed the land by the adverse possession rule of Virginia, which allows a person to own land after 15 years of possession if five conditions are met.
He ultimately could not prove his exclusive and actual possession condition and the ‘hostile claim’ condition.”Kanu Gandhi and Shiva Gandhi returned to India in 2013 and spent their final years in South Gujarat. Kanu Gandhi died in Surat in Nov 2016. Under his will, his assets passed to Shiva Gandhi.
