In a significant boost to Gujarat’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games 2030, the Gujarat High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by the Sant Shri Asharam Ashram challenging the state government’s move to reclaim a substantial land parcel in Ahmedabad’s Motera area for the development of sports infrastructure.
Justice Vaibhavi Nanavati rejected the ashram’s challenge to the government’s acquisition drive, which seeks to free up nearly 45,000 square metres of land situated close to the Narendra Modi Stadium and the upcoming Sardar Patel Sports Complex.
Appearing for the state, government pleader GH Virk argued that the land in question was originally allotted to the ashram decades ago for restricted religious purposes. However, over the years, the ashram’s activities had unlawfully expanded far beyond the allotted area.
According to the government, the allotment was conditional on strict adherence to non-commercial use, prohibition on unauthorised construction, and compliance with land use permissions. Multiple inspections, however, revealed that the ashram had undertaken widespread construction and occupied more land than was legally sanctioned.
Despite receiving multiple notices and being given opportunities for hearings, the ashram continued its encroachments. The government asserted that such unlawful expansion could not be later legitimised through court intervention.
The decision comes at a crucial time as Ahmedabad gears up to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030 and aims to position itself as a contender for future Olympic bids. The state government told the court that reclaiming the disputed land will facilitate the development of world-class sporting facilities in the Motera zone, enhancing the city’s sports infrastructure and global appeal.
The ashram, founded by Asaram, has been mired in controversy. Asaram (84) is currently serving life sentences in two separate rape cases. He was first convicted in 2018 by a Jodhpur court for the rape of a minor at his Rajasthan ashram in 2013. Later, in January 2023, a Gandhinagar court also sentenced him to life imprisonment for repeatedly raping a woman disciple from Surat between 2001 and 2006 at his Motera ashram.
The state’s success in reclaiming the land marks a legal and symbolic victory, as it seeks to repurpose space formerly associated with criminal misconduct into facilities intended to promote athleticism and public good.
