US Court Rules in Favour of Gandhi Charitable Trust in 30-Acre Virginia Land Dispute

A 20-month legal battle over a 30-acre property in Virginia, belonging to the family of Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson Kanu Gandhi, has come to an end, with a US court ruling in favour of the Gandhi Charitable Trust. The disputed land, located in Warren County near Shenandoah National Park, was purchased by Kanu Gandhi and his wife, Shiva Gandhi, in 1987. Following Kanu Gandhi’s death in 2016, his wife established the Dr. Shiva and Kanu Ramdas Mohandas Gandhi Charitable Trust in 2018 and transferred their assets to the organisation to promote Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals.

The dispute began in January 2025, when a Virginia resident, Gregory Black, claimed ownership of the property under the state's adverse possession law, which allows a person to claim ownership of land under certain conditions after 15 years of continuous possession. Trust representative Parimal Desai challenged the claim with the help of legal counsel, GIS mapping and artificial intelligence tools. The evidence reportedly established that a cabin the claimant said he had built on the property had not existed there for 15 years. After considering the arguments, the court rejected the claim and ordered the removal of unauthorised structures and encroachments. The ruling secured the property for the charitable trust.