The Supreme Court of India on Monday intervened in the Gujarat government’s plan to reclaim land occupied by the Sant Shri Asharam Trust in Ahmedabad, ordering a status quo on the property until May 4. The land, situated in Motera, is central to the state’s ambitious project to develop sports infrastructure ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
The dispute involves over 45,000 square metres of land located near the Narendra Modi Stadium. The Gujarat government intends to utilize this area for the proposed Sardar Patel Sports Complex. However, the Trust challenged an April 17 order from the Gujarat High Court, which had authorized the state to take over the land due to alleged lease violations and illegal encroachments.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta raised questions regarding the procedural fairness of the eviction. During the hearing, the bench observed prima facie that the Trust may not have been served with the necessary legal notices before the takeover was initiated.
Justice Mehta pointedly addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Gujarat government, stating that it appeared notices were not served to the petitioner. Justice Nath further questioned the suddenness of the state’s action:
“You yourself have been very benevolent. First you granted a lease for 6,261 square metres, and then again you granted a lease for more land, and now, overnight, you want the lease should go.”
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the Trust, argued that the land had been used for the ashram, a school, and social activities as per the allotment. He contended that there were no violations of the lease conditions and described the government’s move as “wrongful” and “illegal,” noting that parts of the land had been with the charitable trust since 1960.
In response, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta maintained that the Trust had committed several violations of lease conditions and had encroached upon government land. He informed the court that more than 30 buildings had been constructed on the site without proper permissions. While the Solicitor General assured the bench that “not a single brick would be demolished” before the next hearing, the court insisted on recording a formal status quo order to prevent any coercive action.
The Gujarat High Court had previously dismissed the Trust’s appeals, siding with revenue authorities who alleged that the Trust had not only breached allotment conditions but also illegally occupied land in the Sabarmati River belt. The High Court had noted that “there is no question of regularisation of the riverbed land encroached upon by the petitioner.”
The Trust, however, maintains that the encroachment allegations are a “guise” to facilitate the government’s sports enclave project for the upcoming Olympic and Commonwealth Games bids.
Asaram, the 84-year-old self-styled “godman” behind the ashram, is currently serving life imprisonment following convictions in two separate rape cases from 2013. He is presently out on medical bail.
The Supreme Court has directed the Gujarat government to produce all relevant records within three days, with a further three days granted to the Trust for a response. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on Monday, May 4.
