The High Court has permitted the State Government to accept land tax from the residents of Munambam. The court, through an interim order, has directed the Revenue Department to accept the tax on a temporary basis until a final verdict is delivered in the case.
The Division Bench of the High Court observed that the Munambam land is not waqf property. The court is considering petitions, including those filed by the Land Protection Committee, seeking a direction to the revenue authorities to accept land tax. The court had earlier observed that the land was given as a donation. Following this, the residents of Munambam approached the court demanding the restoration of their revenue rights.
The directive is to accept the tax on a provisional basis, subject to conditions.
The government had requested that the petitions filed, including by the Land Protection Committee, be taken up at the earliest. Following this, Justice C. Jayachandran issued an interim order on Wednesday.
The Waqf Protection Committee has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court against the High Court’s ruling that Munambam is not waqf property. In its petition, the committee noted that since the issue of Munambam being waqf property is under the consideration of a tribunal, the court cannot intervene in the matter. The High Court’s single bench had earlier ruled that Munambam is waqf property.
Subsequently, when the petitioners approached the division bench against this, the division bench held that, as per the 1950 deed, the land had been donated to Farook College, and since there was a condition for reversion/recall, the land ceased to be waqf property. Challenging this verdict, the Waqf Protection Committee has now approached the Supreme Court.