(MENAFN- IANS) Kochi Nov 26 (IANS) In a major relief to Munambam residents entangled in a long-standing land dispute with the Kerala Waqf Board, the Kerala High Court on Wednesday permitted them to remit land tax for their properties.

As soon as the verdict came, residents started to pay their land tax at the revenue office.

The Court also directed revenue authorities to accept the tax without obstruction.

The interim order was issued by Justice C. Jayachandran while considering multiple petitions, including one filed by the Bhoo Samrakshana Samithi and several affected residents.

The petitioners argued that although they had been residing on the land for decades, with valid gift deeds and sale deeds, the village office had refused to accept land tax, citing objections raised by the Waqf Board.

They maintained that the land, originally gifted to Farook College, had never been recorded as Waqf property, and over the years, the college management legally sold parcels of the land to the families currently living there.

Many residents had even built houses after securing building permits from local authorities.

“The petitioners have absolute title over their properties and have consistently paid tax based on the earlier sale deeds. Yet, the Village Officer is refusing to accept taxes, citing the Wakf Board's claim. Authorities cannot deny basic procedures such as tax remittance, mutation, transfer or mortgage,” the petition stated.

Accepting the arguments, the Court granted interim relief, enabling landowners to continue paying taxes until the ownership issue is fully settled.

The Munambam land dispute traces back to a 404.76-acre coastal property gifted in 1950 by Mohammed Siddique Sait to Farook College. Due to sea erosion, the land has now shrunk to approximately 135.11 acres.

Although several families were already settled there and later purchased land from the college, the 2019 registration of the entire property as Waqf land by the Kerala Waqf Board rendered earlier transactions void, sparking public protests and legal action.

The State government later appointed a commission led by former Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair to suggest remedies, but its constitution was invalidated by a single judge in March 2025. A Division Bench later restored it in October 2025.

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