Munambam land dispute: Kerala HC stays order quashing appointment of Judicial Commission

Kochi: A division bench of the Kerala High Court on Monday stayed the order of a single judge that had nullified the appointment of a juddicial commission by the state government to probe the Munambam land dispute.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice S Manu passed the interim order while considering an appeal filed by the state government challenging the single-judge verdict delivered on March 17.

The court permitted the commission to function temporarily until further orders. The appeal will be heard next in June after the summer vacation.

Responding to the court order, Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev said as a result of this order the commission can now function, and the government would move forward with the necessary procedures.

Due to the single bench order the commission did not get adequate time to complete its task and now it will resume its operation, minister told media in Thiruvananthapuram, reiterating that no one will be evicted from Munambam.

In November last year, the state government set up the judicial commission, headed by former acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, to ascertain land ownership in the disputed area.

The Kerala Waqf Samrakshana Vedhi of Ernakulam, challenged the state's order in the High Court. The state government told the court that the commission is only a fact-finding authority and has no power to adjudicate on questions of title or disputes.

Following this, Justice Ramachandran Nair said that the functioning of the commission has been halted until the court pronounces the final verdict in the petition.

In the villages of Cherai and Munambam in Ernakulam district, residents have alleged that the Waqf Board was unlawfully claiming their land and properties, despite them holding registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.