Archive · 12 Dec 2025
SC Stays Kerala HC Verdict on Munambam Land
The Supreme Court of India has temporarily stopped a decision made by the Kerala High Court.
The High Court had said that a piece of land in Kochi’s Munambam was not meant to be a waqf property.
The Supreme Court wants to think more about this because they believe the right place to decide this is the Waqf Tribunal, not the High Court.
They have asked everyone to keep things the way they are for now until they can look into it more.
There are different people involved, like the Kerala Government, some residents who live on the land, and a college called Farook College.
The Supreme Court will hear more about this in January.
The land was originally given to the college by a man named Mohammed Siddeeq Sait in 1950.
Over the years, parts of the land were sold to people living there, but the college did not mention that the land was waqf property.
In 2019, the Kerala Waqf Board said the land was waqf, which caused a dispute.
The High Court said the Waqf Board's decision was not correct, but the Supreme Court wants to think about it more.
The Supreme Court stayed the Kerala High Court's order that a disputed 365-acre land in Munambam was not intended to be a waqf property.
The status quo will be maintained until the next hearing on January 27.
The Supreme Court questioned whether the High Court was the correct forum to examine the nature of the land, as related proceedings were pending before the Waqf Tribunal.
The dispute dates back to 1950 when Mohammed Siddeeq Sait gifted over 400 acres of land to Farook College, which has been inhabited by about 600 Christian and Hindu families.
The Kerala Waqf Board declared the land as waqf in 2019, leading to a legal battle and the High Court's decision that the classification was 'bad in law' and 'palpably violative' of Waqf Acts.
- Who
- Supreme Court of India, Kerala High Court, Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi, Kerala Government, Residents of Munambam, Farook College
- What
- Supreme Court stays Kerala High Court's verdict declaring Munambam land not intended to be waqf property
- When
- Next hearing scheduled for the week commencing January 27
- Where
- Kochi’s Munambam, Ernakulam district, Kerala, India
- Why
- To consider if the Kerala High Court could have undertaken the exercise of declaring the land not waqf property, as the appropriate forum would be the Waqf Tribunal
- Land Location
- Kochi’s Munambam, Ernakulam district, Kerala, India
- Land Area
- 365 acres (disputed), 404.76 acres (total)
- Court Involved
- Supreme Court of India
- High Court Ruling
- Land not intended to be waqf property
- Supreme Court Action
- Stayed High Court ruling, maintained status quo
- Next Hearing Date
- Week commencing January 27
- Parties Involved
- Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi, Kerala Government, Residents of Munambam, Farook College
- Waqf Board Action
- Declared land as waqf in 2019
- High Court's Observation
- Kerala Waqf Board's classification of land as waqf was 'bad in law' and 'palpably violative' of Waqf Acts
