Though court dismisses government claim on Cheruvally estate, it says Ayana Trust ownership not indisputable

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An aerial presumption    of the Cheruvally property  wherever  the Kerala authorities  has projected  to conception   the Sabarimala International Greenfield airport.

An aerial presumption of the Cheruvally property wherever the Kerala authorities has projected to conception the Sabarimala International Greenfield airport. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Even arsenic it dismissed the State government’s civilian suit claiming ownership of the Cheruvally property successful Erumely, the Pala Sub Court has besides made it wide that the defendant, Ayana Trust, does not clasp undisputed rubric to the property.

Delivering the judgement connected Monday, Sub Judge Rajasree Rajagopal stated that “the plaintiff (government) has not succeeded successful establishing rubric oregon entitlement to the plaint docket properties connected the spot of the pleadings and grounds adduced.” She added that “the dismissal of the suit is founded connected the plaintiff’s nonaccomplishment to discharge the load of impervious formed upon it successful instrumentality and shall not beryllium construed arsenic a affirmative oregon declaratory pronouncement connected the implicit oregon indefeasible rubric of the defendants, which has not been sought oregon adjudicated upon successful these proceedings.”

The lawsuit progressive extended documentary grounds spanning a agelong humanities period, including colony registers, gross records, administrative proceedings, writ tribunal orders, taxation receipts, rubric deeds, registered merchantability deeds, supplementary deeds, plantation taxation records, survey plans, gazette notifications, and related materials.

The government’s superior contention was that the Cheruvally property is recorded arsenic Pandaravakapattom successful the 1910 Settlement Register, considered a cardinal papers for determining the property’s archetypal character. However, the tribunal held that the Settlement Register unsocial cannot beryllium treated arsenic conclusive impervious of continuing authorities ownership.

“Settlement registers are intended chiefly for fiscal medication and onshore gross assessment. They bash not represent documents of title, nor tin they, by themselves, displace oregon override registered deeds and long-recognised proprietary possession,” the tribunal observed.

The judgement further noted that the colony introduction predates some the Royal Proclamation of 1040 M.E. (Malayalam Era) and the Kerala Land Reforms Act. “To dainty that introduction arsenic impervious of continuing authorities rubric would magnitude to ignoring consequent sovereign and legislative acts,” the tribunal said.

To record petition

Saji Koduvath, the peculiar authorities pleader successful the case, said the authorities would soon record a petition against the Sub Court’s bid successful the Kerala High Court.

Commenting connected the tribunal order, Poonjar legislator Sebastian Kulathunkal said the ruling would not impede the connection to conception the Sabarimala Greenfield International Airport connected the property land. According to him, the court’s determination was rendered without considering each the applicable facts.

“Given that the judgement has gone against the government, the onshore volition present person to beryllium acquired by the State done the ongoing onshore acquisition process. Under the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation, and Resettlement Act, 2013, the authorities has the authorization to get immoderate onshore for improvement purposes. A missive has been sent to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting the indispensable follow-up actions,” helium said.

Published - January 22, 2026 07:22 p.m. IST

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