Tension grips Kattukollai village near Pallikonda as the TN Waqf Board claims ownership of land occupied by 300 residents for generations, demanding rent. Residents, possessing property deeds and utility connections, assert their rightful ownership

VELLORE: Tension prevailed at Kattukollai village near Pallikonda here after the TN Waqf Board issued notices to around 300 residents, claiming ownership of the land on which they built their houses.
A waqf board trustee sent notices to the residents, demanding rents for the parcels of land.
The residents, who say they lived there for more than five generations, argued that they possessed legal documents, including property deeds, as well as electricity and water connections, to prove ownership.
On April 11, a section of the residents submitted a petition to collector V R Subbulaxmi, urging the district administration to intervene and resolve the issue.
According to the petitioners, around 500 houses are spread across three streets in Kattukollai village that comes under the Irayankadu panchayat.
Keezhandai Nawab Masoodi and Hasarath Syed Ali Sultan Sha Dargha trustee F Syed Sadam told TOI the trust had been attempting to claim rights to its five acre site where several people have encroached and built houses and shops.
“Our fight for justice is more than 30 years old. My father issued notices to the people who had encroached as early as 1990. I took charge in 2022 and initiated efforts to stake claim to the properties of the trust. We issued notices to 60 people so far,” said Sadam.
Residents said on Feb 14, the waqf board issued notices to 300 households, claiming the land belonged to the board and demanding rent from the occupants. They described the move as sudden and shocking, insisting that the houses were rightfully theirs and not under the board’s jurisdiction.
The waqf board, however, continues to assert ownership of the land, citing records dating back to 1959, say residents.
“We have been living here for five generations, and now there is an attempt to take away our property. The issue escalated into a major conflict between two communities. If TN govt does not step in immediately, there is a real risk of communal tension,” the residents said in their petition.