Kochi: In a major development, the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has ruled that the land in Munambam is not Waqf property, overturning an earlier decision by a Single Bench.

The Division Bench observed that, based on a 1950 document, the land in question was donated to Farook College, and the inclusion of a reversion clause in the deed meant that it ceased to be Waqf property once the conditions for repossession were triggered.

The earlier ruling by a Single Bench of the High Court had held the Munambam land as Waqf property and had maintained that any action regarding it must proceed under the Waqf Act.

The Division Bench’s ruling came in response to an appeal filed by the Kerala State Government. The government had previously appointed Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair to investigate the status of the land, but this commission was quashed by the Single Bench. The government then appealed this decision, resulting in the Division Bench's favourable ruling.

The court upheld the government's right to appoint a commission and inspect the land, affirming that the land could not be categorised as Waqf property under existing legal provisions.

According to the Division Bench, although the 1950 document originally conveyed the land to Farook College as Waqf property, the existence of a clause allowing for repossession invalidated its continued classification as such. The court held that once the right to reclaim the land was exercised, its status as Waqf property was nullified.

This ruling represents a major clarification in the ongoing legal dispute over the ownership and classification of the Munambam land.