The Gujarat High Court on Friday (April 17, 2026) dismissed a set of appeals filed by a trust associated with self-styled godman Asaram, challenging the proposed takeover of land in Motera, Ahmedabad, where authorities plan to develop major sports infrastructure ahead of the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
The dispute pertains to over 45,000 square metres of land located near the Narendra Modi Stadium, which has been earmarked for the proposed Sardar Patel Sports Complex. The land currently houses an ashram run by the Sant Shri Asharam Trust.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal and Justice D.N. Ray upheld earlier orders of a single-judge Bench which had already dismissed the trust’s challenge to eviction notices issued by revenue authorities. The notices were issued on grounds of alleged encroachment and violations of conditions linked to the original allotment and later regularisation of the land.
The trust had approached the court after the Gujarat Revenue Tribunal rejected its petition challenging the eviction process initiated by the mamlatdar. It argued that the action was not bona fide and was instead aimed at acquiring land under the guise of removing encroachments in order to facilitate the government’s broader plan for sports infrastructure development and future international sporting events.
