Kerala govt's suit over land proposed for Sabarimala airport dismissed by sub court

A sub court on Monday dismissed a suit filed by the Kerala government seeking ownership of the Cheruvally Estate at Erumely, which was proposed to be acquired for the Sabarimala International Greenfield Airport.

Pala sub court judge Rajasree Rajagopal dismissed the suit, rejecting the state government's contention that the property belonged to it.

The respondents in the suit were Ayana Charitable Trust under Believers Church, Harrison's Malayalam Trust, Mar Athanasius Yohan Metropolitan and Sini Punnose.

The dispute arose after M G Rajamanickam, a special officer appointed under the Kerala Land Conservancy Act to examine long-term plantation leases, recommended the resumption of land of the Cheruvally estate in 2015.

However, Ayana Charitable Trust claimed that it had rightfully purchased the land from Harrison Malayalam in 2005 and that ownership had been established through adverse possession, citing continuous occupation by their predecessors for more than a century.

The resumption order was later set aside by the Kerala High Court in 2019, which directed the state to pursue its claim in a civil court, a decision subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court of India.

Following this, the state government filed a suit before the Pala sub court, claiming that the property located in Erumely South and Manimala villages in Kottayam district fell under the Pandaravaka Pattom category and had been illegally transferred.

Detailed reasons for the dismissal are yet to be made available, as the full judgment has not been released.

The state government was represented by advocate Saji Koduvath, while advocates P Haridas and Shijimol M Mathew appeared for the Ayana Charitable Trust.

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