Just as the Congress formed the government in Kerala, the Kerala State Waqf Board has formally registered the disputed 404 acres of land in Munambam on the Central Government’s Umeed Portal, escalating the long-running legal and political conflict surrounding ownership claims over the coastal stretch in Ernakulam district, as reported in The Statesman.
The move has intensified tensions in Munambam, where more than 600 local families have been contesting the Waqf Board’s claim over the land for several years.
According to reports, the Waqf Board completed the registration on the Umeed Portal by designating itself as the Mutawalli, or manager and trustee, of the disputed property. The registration effectively places the land under the Board’s administrative control even as the core ownership dispute remains pending before the Waqf Tribunal.
The registration assumes significance because the Union Government’s Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 mandates that all Waqf properties be registered on the Umeed Portal for legal recognition and protection.
The origins of the dispute trace back to 2019, when the Kerala State Waqf Board claimed that the 404-acre coastal land constituted Waqf property. The Board argued that the land had originally been donated in 1950 by Siddique Sait to Farook College as a Waqf endowment.
The controversy deepened in 2022 after residents alleged that they were prevented from remitting land tax for their properties. Following public outrage and protests, the Kerala Government allowed residents to pay land tax. However, that decision was later challenged before the Kerala High Court by the Waqf Samrakshana Samathi, leading the High Court to stay the State government’s order.
In a major setback to the Waqf Board, the Kerala High Court in October 2025 held that the Board’s 2019 declaration identifying the Munambam land as Waqf property was ultra vires. The court also described the declaration as a “land-grabbing tactic.”
The verdict was delivered by a Division Bench comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Syam Kumar V.M.. The judgment provided substantial relief to over 600 families who had been facing uncertainty regarding ownership rights and fears of possible displacement.
The High Court ruling was subsequently challenged before the Supreme Court of India by the Waqf Samrakshana Vedi. In December 2025, the Supreme Court issued an interim stay on the High Court’s “Not Waqf” declaration and directed that status quo be maintained over the disputed property until further orders.
Legal experts and residents’ organisations have since argued that the amended Waqf law strengthens the case of the Munambam residents. Section 2A of the amended legislation specifies that the Act does not apply to trusts established by Muslims for purposes similar to Waqf institutions.
The Munambam Land Protection Council has maintained that the land parcels in question were purchased from Farook College, which it describes as an educational trust rather than a permanent religious endowment. Based on that interpretation, the Council contends that the Waqf Board has no legal jurisdiction over the land.
The amended legislation has also removed earlier provisions that allowed properties to be classified as Waqf based on “historical use” or informal religious claims without definitive title records. Additionally, it repealed the unilateral authority earlier available under Section 40, which had empowered Waqf Boards to independently determine ownership disputes.
Legal observers have argued that entries uploaded on digital portals cannot supersede statutory land records, government surveys, registered sale deeds, or revenue documents.
Residents of Munambam have consistently asserted that they possess valid ownership documents, including registered property records, tax receipts, and official land registry papers supporting their claims.
Amid the ongoing dispute, several Union Ministers have publicly assured residents of the coastal village that the amended Waqf law protects their interests. However, the Munambam Land Protection Council has urged the Central Government to frame detailed operational rules clarifying the implementation of Section 2A in disputes such as the Munambam case.
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