Kerala: After Munambam, 5 Wayanad residents receive Waqf Board's notice to furnish documents

In Wayanad's Mananthavady, five families have been served a Waqf notice alleging encroachment on 4.7 acres of Waqf land. The notice demands document submissions by October 16 and requires their appearance for proceedings on October 19.  

Wayanad: In Mananthavady's Thavinjal area, five families have been issued a Waqf notice. The action follows a complaint received on October 10. The notice alleges that 4.7 acres out of 5.77 acres of Waqf property have been encroached upon. It states that steps will be taken under the Waqf Act to reclaim the unlawfully occupied land.

The notice was served to residents V.P. Salim, C.V. Hamsa, Jamal, Rahmath, and Ravi. They have been instructed to submit any relevant documents concerning the land by October 16. Additionally, all five families have been directed to appear in connection with the proceedings on October 19.

Earlier, Munambam residents in Ernakulam demanded immediate intervention from both the central and state governments over the Waqf land issue.

The Waqf Board's land claim has plunged 614 families into crisis, with banks now denying them loans. In response, the residents are preparing to stage protests. This unique legal challenge has emerged in two wards of Pallipuram Panchayat, Ernakulam, where the Waqf Board has staked a claim to 104 acres near Munambam Beach, leaving the affected families in limbo about their future.

Nearly five years ago, the Waqf Board asserted its claim over areas in Munambam, Cherai, and Pallikkal, situated along the northern coastline of Vypeen in Ernakulam district. The disputed region includes approximately 1,000 land titles and is home to over 600 families from diverse religious communities, with land ownership documents tracing back to 1989.