Kochi: Three weeks after the Kerala government faced a setback when the High Court permitted a petition challenging the appointment of an Inquiry Commission to resolve the land dispute between Munambam residents and the Waqf Board, a division bench on Monday stayed that ruling.
This decision allows the Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair Commission, appointed by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, to continue its investigation into the rights of around 600 families facing eviction from land declared as Waqf.
The land involved spans a historical total of 404.76 acres, which has diminished to approximately 135.11 acres due to sea erosion.
In its order, the division bench stated, “the appeals are admitted. List the appeals for hearing on the daily board starting June 16, 2025. During the pendency of these appeals, the operation and implementation of the judgment dated March 17, 2025, is stayed. The report submitted by the Commission will not be acted upon by the State government without seeking leave of this court in view of these appeals.”
The origins of the dispute date back to 1950 when the land in question was granted to Farook College by Siddique Sait. Over time, several residents occupied the land, leading to legal conflicts between the college and these long-standing occupants. Eventually, portions of the land were sold to some residents without disclosing the property’s Waqf status. In 2019, the Kerala Waqf Board officially registered the land as part of its estate, nullifying previous sales.
This decision prompted opposition from residents facing eviction, who appealed against the Waqf Board’s designation of the Munambam land as Waqf property to a Waqf Tribunal in Kozhikode.
Members of the Waqf Samrakshana Samithi contended that the government lacked authority to investigate Waqf properties outside existing statutes and sought the dissolution of the Nair Commission.
The case is set for detailed hearing on June 16.
