Vellore: Multiple families in a village within Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district have taken to the streets following a notice declaring parts of Kattukollai as Waqf property, reported ANI.

The affected families, who claim to have lived in the area for the past three generations, have filed a petition with the Vellore District Collector seeking an investigation into the matter.

Villagers protest after Waqf notice

Around 150 families received a notice from Kilandai Masjid and Hazarath Syed Ali Sultan Sha Dargha of Virinchipuram, which asserts that the area belongs to the Waqf.

However, the head of the local Masjid, known as the Mutawalli, stated that the villagers are already aware of the land’s status, noting that government records confirm the property was recognized as Waqf as far back as 1954.

The organisation Hindu Munnani has reportedly mobilized the affected villagers and submitted a petition, prompting Vellore District Collector V R Subbulaxmi to announce that an inquiry is underway.

Speaking to ANI, one villager remarked, "Our land is registered, we have paid Water tax, but now we have received notice saying land is Waqf Property. Two hundred families have received notice."

Praveen Kumar, a Hindu Munnani Vellore District functionary, added, “Kattukollai village in Anaikattu under Iraivankadu Panchayat around 150 villagers received notice from Syed Ali Masjid at Virnichipuram, which is 4 km away from the village. People have lived in Kattukollai for 4 generations.

"They have paid tax and EB also. Now, they have received notice saying the land belongs to Waqf property. People claim they thought that the land belongs to the government. Even one individual applied for Patta (documenting ownership of land), and his Patta was also stopped by Jamaat's intervention."

Kumar also mentioned that electricity has been disrupted for some residents following the notice despite previous assurances from the Collector that the land was government-owned.

He stated, "Even now, electricity has been stopped for a few residents claiming land belongs to Waqf. We met Collector last Thursday, and Collector assured us land belongs to Government and is not Waqf property."

Claims from the Waqf custodian

Syed Sadam, the Mutawalli of the Dargah, defended the notice, asserting, "I have given a notice to the village people in our Waqf. I am claiming as I have all the records that belong to the Waqf, and it shows that from the year 1954 itself in the government of Tamil Nadu gazette, it has been mentioned that the property belongs to the Waqf.

"Even the Waqf board has given a performance report in which they mentioned that some properties belong to the Waqf."

Sadam, custodian of the local waqf assets, further explained that previous land records designate the area as agricultural land until the 1990s.

He elaborated, "They (villagers) themselves know that the property belongs to the masjid. We spoke with those people, and they know it belongs to Masjid. We have spoken to people and told them that they have to pay the land rent to us, not the building rent. They are claiming that they have resided there for the past 4 generations. But as per records, from 1954 till 1990, it was agricultural land, dry land."

Adding to the controversy, Sadam accused the state government of inaction in halting land encroachments, recalling previous petitions filed by his father in Chennai and with the district collector in 1991, which resulted in no remedial measures.

‘Once a Waqf, always a Waqf’

The dispute has drawn political attention. BJP MLA C Saraswathi criticized the management of Waqf properties, stating, "There are no proper rules and documents in the Waqf Board; we don't know how it is managed... They don't even have accounts about the Waqf board property... Only the rich people from the Muslim community benefit from the Waqf properties... There are no benefits for the poor.”

Congress MLA JMH Hassan Maulana said, "Once a Waqf, it is always a Waqf. For a property which has its documents with Waqf, a minimal rental can be claimed on it, which will benefit the Waqf. If one is there, one needs to pay rent to claim to be there."