Munambam land dispute: Relief for Kerala govt as HC allows inquiry commission to resume proceedings

The Kerala High Court Division Bench has issued an interim order allowing the inquiry commission appointed by the government in connection with the Munambam land dispute to continue functioning. The government had earlier filed an appeal in the High Court seeking permission for the commission to continue its activities, as its term was set to expire on May 27.

Recently, during the parliamentary debates on the Waqf Amendment Bill, the Munambam issue was highlighted. The case involves a dispute over 404 acres of land claimed by the Waqf Board. Originally endowed to Farook College in 1950, the land was sold to residents in the 1960s. In 2019, the Waqf Board declared it Waqf property, halting land tax payments and threatening evictions.

In December 2024, the Kerala government appointed the CN Ramachandran Nair Commission to investigate the land dispute in Munambam.

Earlier, a Single Bench of the High Court had quashed the appointment of the Munambam Judicial Commission, observing that the issue was still pending before the Waqf Tribunal. It also noted that even if the dispute raised concerns related to public order, invoking the provisions of the Commission of Inquiry Act was not appropriate at that stage.

The government subsequently appealed this decision before the Division Bench. The interim order came as a breath of solace for the Kerala government.

“The High Court Division Bench’s verdict, allowing the Munambam Commission to continue functioning despite the government’s appeal, is helpful in taking the proceedings forward,” said Kerala Law Minister P. Rajeev.

“The Commission had been tasked with studying and submitting a report on what measures the government could adopt to protect the legal rights of people who have been residing in Munambam for a long time. The government had already made it clear earlier that these residents would not be evicted from Munambam.”