The Kerala High Court has restored the judicial commission that was formed to probe the Munambam land dispute, reversing an earlier ruling that had quashed its constitution. This interim order allows the commission to continue its investigation into the disputed ownership of land in the Cherai and Munambam areas.
The commission, headed by former acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Justice C N Ramachandran Nair, was originally appointed by the state government in November last year to decide ownership of land in the disputed region. But its activities were suspended after legal proceedings.
With the recent order of the High Court, the commission is permitted to operate till further orders so that it can finish its fact-finding endeavor on the issue of the land dispute. The court has ordered the next hearing in June.
Kerala Law Minister P Rajeev welcomed the court’s decision, saying that the commission could now resume its work. He added that the commission had not been given adequate time to fulfill its task in accordance with the previous order but can now continue its work. The minister also assured residents that there would be no evictions in Munambam due to the activities of the commission.
People living in Cherai and Munambam alleged that the Waqf Board was illegally occupying their land and properties, even though they possessed registered deeds and receipts for payment of land tax. The commission’s reversal of earlier decisions seeks to respond to these complaints by meticulously investigating the claims and establishing the original owner of the contested lands.
