Kerala HC Freezes Waqf Board Functioning; Detailed Response After Receiving Copy of Judgment, Says Minister

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has temporarily frozen the functioning of the Kerala State Waqf Board, directing it not to take any policy decisions or undertake further actions without the court's permission. The court has also handed over the board's interim administrative responsibilities to the Secretary of the Waqf Department.

The interim order was issued by Justice V G Arun while considering four public interest litigations (PILs), including a petition filed by BJP state vice-president Shaun George, challenging the constitution of the Waqf Board in light of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

During the hearing, the Kerala government informed the High Court that it was prepared to reconstitute the Waqf Board in accordance with the amended central law. The government said it would comply with the provision requiring the inclusion of two non-Muslim members on the board and would complete the process after following all legal procedures.

The High Court also issued notices to the Waqf Board chairman and its members. The existing board, constituted by the state government in 2026, has nine members. The case has been posted for further hearing after one week.

Reacting to the development, State Minister for Waqf N. Shamsuddeen said the government would issue a detailed response only after receiving and examining the complete copy of the High Court's order.

The minister, who had initially called the media to brief them on the issue, later said it would not be appropriate to comment extensively before studying the judgment. He noted that, based on the information available, the court had temporarily suspended the functioning of the current Waqf Board and directed that it should neither take policy decisions nor incur financial expenditure without prior permission from the High Court.