Court restores land tax rights to Munambam residents

The long-running land dispute over Munambam Waqf land moved into a new phase on Wednesday after the Kerala High Court directed the state government to accept land tax from residents living on the contested property.

- 

The interim order has prompted the Munambam Land Protection Committee to consider withdrawing its 411-day relay hunger strike, though a formal decision will be taken only after a core committee meeting.

Justice C Jayachandran issued the directive while hearing a batch of petitions filed by residents and the Land Protection Committee.

The petitioners stated that they had purchased the land decades ago from the Farook College Managing Committee, effected mutation, and paid tax regularly until 2019, when the Kerala State Waqf Board registered the 404-acre stretch as Waqf property. Following the Board's claim, the Village Office stopped accepting tax, putting the residents in a legal impasse.