The Kerala High Court on Wednesday orally remarked that it would not, for the time being, grant a stay on the functioning of the State Waqf Board, while hearing a public interest litigation challenging the constitution of the Board, particularly the appointment of CPI(M) politician and former MLA K.P. Kunhammed Kutty.
The petition had alleged that Mr. Kutty had been appointed for a term of five years, when only two months were left in his term as MLA, in violation of the mandate under the Waqf Act, 2025. Earlier, BJP leader Shone George had also filed a PIL alleging that the Board had not appointed non-Muslim members as required under the governing law.
The Assembly of Christian Trust Services had also approached the court challenging the Board’s constitution and the uploading of details relating to 404 acres of coastal land in Munambam to the UMEED portal by the Board. Another petition was filed by the President of Aal-E-Rasool Foundation, Sajid Hussain Khatai, from Kochi, seeking adequate representation of Ithna Ashari, a Shia community, on the Board.
The court noted all the pending matters related to the constitution of the Waqf Board and the coastal land in Munambam and directed that they would be heard together on July 15 and directed the State to file its response in the meantime.
Published – July 08, 2026 10:10 pm IST
