The Kerala State Waqf Board has formally registered the controversial 404 acres of land in Munambam on the Central Government’s Umeed Portal, the digital platform created for record-keeping of Waqf properties across India.
The development marks a fresh escalation in the sensitive socio-political and legal dispute involving more than 600 local families residing in the coastal village of Munambam in Ernakulam district.
The registration was reportedly carried out with the Waqf Board assuming the role of Mutawalli — the manager or trustee of a Waqf property — thereby bringing the land under its direct administrative control.
The move comes even as the matter remains under adjudication before the Waqf Tribunal over the fundamental question of whether the land qualifies as Waqf property.
Under the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 enacted by the Union Government, all Waqf properties are required to be registered on the Umeed Portal for legal recognition and protection.
The dispute has its origins in 2019, when the Kerala State Waqf Board claimed ownership over the land, asserting that it had originally been donated as Waqf property to Farook College by Siddique Sait in 1950. The controversy intensified in 2022 after local residents were allegedly prevented from paying land tax on their properties.
Subsequently, the Kerala Government intervened and permitted residents to remit land tax. However, the decision was challenged before the Kerala High Court by the Waqf Samrakshana Samathi, following which the High Court stayed the state government’s order.
In a major development, the Kerala High Court in October 2025 ruled that the Waqf Board’s 2019 declaration of the 404-acre coastal stretch as Waqf property was ultra vires and termed it a “land-grabbing tactic.”
The Division Bench comprising Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. delivered the verdict, granting significant relief to more than 600 affected families facing uncertainty over ownership and possible displacement.
The judgment was later challenged in the Supreme Court of India by the Waqf Samrakshana Vedi. In December 2025, the apex court issued an interim stay on the High Court’s “Not Waqf” declaration and directed maintenance of status quo on the property until further orders.
Meanwhile, legal experts and residents’ groups argue that the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 substantially strengthens the position of the Munambam families. Section 2A of the amended legislation states that the Act does not apply to trusts established by Muslims for purposes similar to Waqf institutions.
The Munambam Land Protection Council maintains that the land parcels were purchased from Farook College, which functions as an educational trust rather than a permanent religious endowment. On that basis, the Council contends that the Waqf Board lacks jurisdiction over the land.
The amended law has also repealed earlier provisions permitting properties to be declared Waqf based on “historical use” or informal religious claims without conclusive title documentation. It further removes the unilateral powers earlier vested with Waqf Boards under Section 40 to determine ownership claims independently.
Legal observers have argued that the mere uploading or alteration of records on digital portals cannot override statutory land records, revenue documents, surveys, and registered ownership deeds.
Residents have maintained that their ownership can be established through civil registry documents, tax receipts, and government land records.
While several Union Ministers have publicly assured the Munambam coastal community that the amended law safeguards their interests, the Munambam Land Protection Council has urged the Central Government to frame clear operational rules specifying how Section 2A will be implemented in disputed cases such as Munambam.