A circuit court in Virginia has delivered a definitive verdict in a property dispute involving land formerly held by Kanu Gandhi, the late grandson of Mahatma Gandhi. On October 21, Judge Daryl L. Funk of the Warren County Circuit Court ruled in favour of the Dr. Schiva and Kanu Ramdas Mohandas Gandhi Charitable Trust. The court’s decision mandates that a local resident, Gregory Black, must cease his occupation of the 30-acre property, which is situated adjacent to the Shenandoah National Park.
The legal battle originated after Black filed a notice claiming ownership of the land through the principle of adverse possession. Under Virginia law, an individual may attempt to claim legal title to property if they can demonstrate uninterrupted occupation for a period of at least 15 years. The burden of proof lies with the claimant, who must show that their presence on the land was sufficiently open and obvious that a reasonably attentive property owner would have been aware of the activity. Black alleged that he had been occupying the site since 2008.
Parimal Desai, a resident of Surat and the managing trustee of the charitable trust, challenged these claims in court. Mr. Desai reportedly discovered the encroachment in 2025 after receiving a legal notice from Black. Following a site visit and a formal land survey conducted in 2024, Mr. Desai initiated the legal proceedings to reclaim the property. During the trial, Black was unable to substantiate his claims of long-term possession, leading to the court’s decision to reject his arguments.
Kanu Gandhi, an engineer who graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, had a notable professional career in the United States. He worked for NASA and the United States Department of Defense, contributing to aircraft design before eventually returning to India. He passed away in November 2016 at the age of 87, two years after his relocation. Following his death, his assets, including the Virginia acreage, were transferred to his wife, Shiva Gandhi.
Upon the death of Shiva Gandhi in 2020, the properties were inherited by the charitable trust that she had established earlier that same year. As the couple did not have any children, the trust has served as the legal entity responsible for managing the late couple's assets. Mr. Desai has acted as the primary representative in safeguarding the estate against unauthorized claims.
The court has imposed specific conditions on Black as part of the eviction order. He is required to remove various structures from the land, including a cabin, hunting stands, and hunting huts, along with all other personal belongings. The court stipulated that these removals must be completed within 30 days at Black’s personal expense. Furthermore, the judge ordered Black to pay $11,375 to cover the fees of a guardian ad litem, an official who was appointed by the court to represent the interests of any potential unknown heirs during the litigation process.
The ruling marks the end of a legal dispute that threatened the integrity of the charitable trust’s land holdings. By failing to provide sufficient evidence to meet the state's stringent requirements for adverse possession, Black has been directed to surrender the property entirely to the rightful trust, effectively ending his long-standing unauthorized use of the acreage near Shenandoah National Park.
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