THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Kerala HC grants State two weeks to respond to charges against Waqf Board in PIL by BJP’s Shone George Shone George alleged that Waqf Board was functioning in violation of mandates under United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act

Kerala HC seeks state's response on PIL challenging Waqf board ... Kochi, Jun 11The Kerala High Court on Thursday sought the response of the state government on a PIL seeking a declaration that the state Waqf board’s functioning is illegal, as it does not have two non-Muslim members as mandated by statute. A bench ofChief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V Missued notice to the state government, the board, and its members, seeking their stand on the public interest litigation filed by BJP leader Shone George. The court listed the matter for further hearing on July 2. In his plea, George has claimed that the United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, after its amendment in 2025, mandates the inclusion of at least two non-Muslim members in the board. He said that the constitutionality of the amendment was considered by the Supreme Court, which did not stay the statute and capped the number of non-Muslim members in state boards at three. “However, the State of Kerala has deliberately flouted this statutory requirement by constituting a Board consisting only of Muslims. Through GO (P) No 54/2026/RD dated February 4, 2026, the state appointed nin…

Christian Trust Services challenge constitution of Waqf Board, Munambam ... Onmanorama Staff Published: July 01, 2026 06:39 PM IST 3 minuteRead A public interest litigation (PIL) filed before the Kerala High Court by the Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS) is challenging the constitution of the Kerala State Waqf Board. The PIL contends that the Waqf Board was illegally constituted, citing the failure to appoint two non-Muslim members and specific representation from Shia, other backward Muslim, Bohra, and Aghakhani communities, as required by law. The petition also challenges the Waqf Board's decision to upload details of 404 acres of disputed Munambam coastal land to the UMEED portal, arguing that this responsibility lies solely with the Mutawalli and that an improperly constituted board cannot impartially adjudicate disputes involving land occupied by non-Muslim families. Link Copied A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Kerala High Court by the Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS), challenging the constitution of the Kerala State Waqf Board under the LDF government and its subsequent decision to upload details of the disputed Munamba…

Christian trust moves Kerala HC against Waqf Board composition ... A Christian public charitable trust, Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS), has moved the Kerala High Court challenging the constitution of the State Waqf Board and its decision to upload the details of heavily disputed land in Munambam to the UMEED Portal [Assembly of Christian Trust Services v. Union of India & Ors.] The public interest litigation (PIL) petition moved by ACTS contends that the Waqf Board has not been constituted as per statutory requirements. As claimed in asimilar petitionfiled by State Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Shone George, ACTS has argued that the State government has not appointed two non-Muslim members to the Board as is statutorily required following the 2025 Waqf Amendment Act. The Amendment Act, which came into force on April 8 last year, introduced a mandatory requirement under Section 14(1) to include at least two non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board, excluding ex-officio members. While consideringchallenges to the 2025 Amendment Act,the Supreme Court did not stay the operation of this requirement, but it imposed an upper limit of three non-Muslim mem…

Kerala HC seeks State's response on pleas challenging Waqf Board's ... KOCHI: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday sought the State government's response to a batch of public interest litigations challenging the constitution of the Kerala State Waqf Board, alleging that it has not been constituted in accordance with the amended Waqf Act, 2025. A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M granted the State a week to file its counter-affidavit. The court, however, declined to pass any interim order staying the functioning of the Board. The petitioners contend that the Board is continuing to function and issue orders despite the alleged defects in its constitution. They argue that the amended law mandates the inclusion of two non-Muslim members, who have not yet been nominated. One of the PILs, filed by Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS), also challenges the uploading of details of the disputed Munambam land on the Centre's UMEED (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development) portal. The organisation argues that the entry affects Hindu and Christian residents in the area and that only the mutawalli is authorised under t…

Kerala HC grants State two weeks to respond to charges against Waqf ... The PIL has sought the nomination of two non-Muslim members to the Waqf Board and to halt its functioning till such an order is passed.| Photo Credit: RK Nithin The Kerala High Court on Thursday granted the State two weeks to respond to allegations of statutory violations in the Kerala State Waqf Board in a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by BJP leader Shone George. Mr. George had alleged that the Waqf Board was functioning in violation of the mandates under the United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, 1955. All 9 out of 11 members are Muslims, without any mention of the other two members which affects the requirement of diversity as per law, the petitioner said. The Act was amended in 2025, reforming the management of Waqf properties in India. The Waqf Amendment Act mandates that at least two members of the Board, excluding ex-officio members, must be non-Muslims in order to ensure secular oversight, professional diversity, and financial accountability in administration, he said. The PIL sought the nomination of two non-Muslim members to the Waqf Board and to halt the fu…

Kerala Waqf Board Validity Challenged: HC Notice [2026 Guide] INTRODUCTION The Kerala High Court has gotten involved in the controversy about the newly formed Kerala State Waqf Board. The Court is set to review a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that demands a justification from the State regarding the legitimacy of the Board, which currently lacks any representatives from non-Muslim communities.. The petition claims that the Government Order (February,2026) issued by the State violates the statutory requirements in the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and therefore renders the Board’s most recent administrative decision made legally void. BACKGROUND The Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which became effective on April 8, 2025, introduced many reforms to the management of Waqf property. One contentious provision of the amended Act, Section 14(1) requires there to be at least two members of State Waqf Boards who are from the non-Muslim community to provide for adequate representation. Notwithstanding this, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of Kerala issued a Government Order (GO) on February 4, 2026, creating a nine-member Waqf Board comprised entirely of Muslim members, leaving the t…

Kerala HC grants govt 3 weeks to respond to Waqf Board petitions Onmanorama Staff Published: July 08, 2026 05:22 PM ISTUpdated: July 08, 2026 05:35 PM IST 2 minuteRead The Kerala High Court has granted the state government three weeks to respond to four public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the composition of the Kerala State Waqf Board. The main contention of the petitions is that the Waqf Board has been improperly constituted, as it allegedly excludes non-Muslim members and fails to include members from specific Muslim communities, contrary to amended Waqf Act provisions. Petitioners argue that an improperly constituted Waqf Board, especially one dealing with disputed land affecting Christian and Hindu families, cannot make impartial decisions and seek its suspension or reconstitution. Link Copied The Kerala High Court on Wednesday granted the state government three weeks to file its response to four public interest litigations (PILs) challenging the constitution of the Kerala State Waqf Board. The order was passed by a division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M. The High Court had earlier sought the state's response in a simil…

Kerala HC seeks state's response on PIL challenging Waqf board ... Home India Kerala HC seeks state’s response on PIL challenging Waqf board composition India Kerala HC seeks state’s response on PIL challenging Waqf board composition PTI 11 June, 2026 08:49 pm IST Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Linkedin Follow Us : Text Size: A- A+ Kochi, Jun 11 (PTI) The Kerala High Court on Thursday sought the response of the state government on a PIL seeking a declaration that the state Waqf board’s functioning is illegal, as it does not have two non-Muslim members as mandated by statute. A bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M issued notice to the state government, the board, and its members, seeking their stand on the public interest litigation filed by BJP leader Shone George. The court listed the matter for further hearing on July 2. Show Full Article In his plea, George has claimed that the United Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development Act, after its amendment in 2025, mandates the inclusion of at least two non-Muslim members in the board. He said that the constitutionality of the amendment was considered by the Supreme Court, which did not stay the stat…

PIL Challenges Legality of Kerala State Waqf Board Membership Composition of the Kerala State Waqf Board Subject :Administrative Law - Statutory Compliance The legal landscape governing religious and charitable endowments in Kerala faces a significant test of administrative legitimacy as theKerala High Courtbegins its review of aPublic Interest Litigation(PIL) challenging the composition of theKerala State Waqf Board. The petition, filed by Shone George, a prominent representative of theBharatiya Janata Party(BJP), alleges that the current board is operating in direct violation of thestatutory mandatesintroduced by theWaqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. This legal challenge has profound implications, potentially casting doubt on the validity of all administrative, supervisory, andquasi-judicial functionsperformed by the board, including, most notably, its involvement in high-profile property disputes such as theMunambam land case. A Legislative Mandate for Diversity The central point of contention in this litigation is the amendedSection 14(1) of theWaqf Act, which was part of the 2025 central legislative overhaul. The amendment …

Kerala Waqf Board Controversy: Christian Trust ne High Court mein ... Dekho, Kerala mein ek naya bawaal ho gaya hai! Ek Christian trust ne Waqf Board ke khilaaf High Court mein public interest litigation daal di hai. Matter hai Waqf Board ke composition ka aur Munambam village ki **404 acres** land ko UMEED portal pe list karne ka. Kya hua? Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS) naam ki ek Christian charitable organization ne Kerala High Court mein PIL file ki hai. Yeh log Kerala State Waqf Board ki legal validity ko challenge kar rahe hain. Do main issues hain: board ka structure aur Munambam village mein lagbhag 404 acres land ko UMEED portal pe upload karne ka decision. Board ki composition mein gadbad? Asli problem ye hai ki current Waqf Board, Waqf Amendment Act, 2025 ke standards ko meet nahi kar raha hai, jo April 2025 mein लागू hua tha. Is Act mein state Waqf boards mein non-Muslim members ko include karne ka rule hai. ACTS ka kehna hai ki state government ne legally required 2 non-Muslim members ko appoint nahi kiya hai. Petition mein kaha gaya hai ki board mein abhi sirf Muslim members hi hain. Trust ka manna hai ki is wajah se board ka constitution hi legally flawe…

Kerala High Court Seeks State's Response To PILs Challenging ... - LiveLaw 8 July 2026 2:45 PM IST The Kerala High Court on Wednesday (July 8) sought the State's response to four public interest litigations filed challenging the constitution of the State Waqf Board. The Division Bench ofChief Justice Soumen SenandJustice Syam Kumar V.M.granted a week's time to the State to file a counter in the case. However, at the moment, no interim order has been passed restraining the Board from functioning. Today, Advocate Lakshmi Sreedhar appearing for one of the petitioners, told that even though the Board has not been properly constituted, it is still functioning and passing orders, which may have adverse consequences. All the PILs have challenged the non-inclusion of non-Muslim persons to the Board, which is mandated as per the newly amended Waqf Act. One of the PILs,moved by the Christian charitable organisation named Assembly of Christian Trust Services (ACTS), has also challenged the upload of the details of the disputed Munambam land on UMEED Portal (Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Portal), which is set up for the purpose of filing of details of …