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2009 Supreme(Ker) 541

High Court Of Kerala
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K.M. JOSEPH & THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M.L. JOSEPH FRANCIS
Pookkadan Moideenkutty - Appellant
Versus
Kuttiyali - Respondents
WP(C).No. 21399 of 2008 (S)
Decided On : 14 July 2009

Advocates Appeared:For the Petitioner:S. Abdul Razzak, Advocate. For the Respondents: M.M. Saidu Muhammed, SC, WAKF BOARD.

Headnote:

Wakf Act,1954 - Sections. 83 and 85 - Wakf property - Management of Wakf - Ist respondent filed Ext.P1 plaint making allegations that plaint schedule property originally belonged to the tharavad of plaintiff. By document No.137/1902 a wakf was created for the purpose of mosque. As per the document the eldest male member of the family is entitled to manage the wakf. Plaintiff's father was the Muthawali and after his death one K.K.Kunhimoideenkutty had become the Muthawali. The said Kunhimoidheenkutty is the first cousin of plaintiff. He expired five years ago. Plaintiff's brother is a mentally retarded and disabled person. According to the plaintiff he is entitled to act as the Muthawali. He was residing elsewhere and now he has settled down at his native place - Held, unambiguously point out that the committee shall function under the direction, control and supervision of the Wakf Board and abide by such directions as the Board may issue from time to time. Ss.67 (2) and 70 of the Act empower the Wakf Board to take action for malfunctioning and mismanagement of the affairs of the Wakf. The same Act and the same provision, namely, S.67(4) specifically confers jurisdiction on the Wakf Tribunal to sit in appeal and decide the legality or otherwise of the orders passed by the Wakf Board - Petition is dismissed.

Judgment :-

K.M. Joseph, J.

Petitioner, the 6th defendant in the suit seeks a writ of certiorari and quash Ext.P3. Ext.P3 is the order of the Wakf Tribunal, Kozhikode holding that the Tribunal has jurisdiction to try the suit filed. A declaration is sought that the dispute as to right to act as Muthawali is not a dispute required by the Wakf Act (hereinafter referred to as the "Act') to be decided by the Wakf Tribunal and the resolution of such dispute sought to be determined in Ext.P1 falls within the realm of Sections 63, 67 and Clauses (d), (g) and (o) of Sub Section (2) of Section 32 of the Act.

2. The Ist respondent (hereinafter referred to as the plaintiff) filed Ext.P1 plaint making the following allegations. Briefly put the plaint schedule property originally belonged to the tharavad of plaintiff. By document No.137/1902 a wakf was created for the purpose of mosque. As per the document the eldest male member of the family is entitled to manage the wakf. Plaintiff's father was the Muthawali and after his death one K.K.Kunhimoideenkutty had become the Muthawali. The said Kunhimoidheenkutty is the first cousin of plaintiff. He expired five years ago. Plaintiff's brother is a mentally retarded and disabled person. According to the plaintiff he is entitled to act as the Muthawali. He was residing elsewhere and now he has settled down at his native place. It has recently came to the notice of the plaintiff that the Ist defendant committee and some persons in the locality are having dispute regarding the management of the

mosque. On enquiry he came to know that the management of the wakf was entrusted to the committee on the basis of false documents and false representation. Nobody has right to transfer the Muthawaliship. Hence a declaration is sought that the plaintiff is the Muthawali of the mosque in question and wakf properties. He also sought permanent prohibitory injunction against defendants 1 to 3 restraining them from interfering with the management of the wakf properties. A written statement was filed by defendants 1 and 6 contending interalia that the suit is not maintainable. Their case is that during 1978 pursuant to a move to form a committee for the management of the mosque some respected persons in the locality interfered in the matter and decided to call a meeting of mahal members. In the meeting a committee of 25 persons were formed. The plaintiff was a party to that committee. It is further alleged that the committee was registered in the year 1980 as per the Societies Registration Act. Elections were held and the plaintiff had participated in the meeting held on 15.3.1994. Thereafter, he resigned from the committee. Pw1 to Pw6 were examined and Exts.A1 to A9 and Ext.X1 and X2 were marked on the side of the plaintiff. On the side of the defendants Dw1 was examined and Exts.B1 to B11, X3 to X16 were also marked. It is on the basis of the preliminary objection taken that the Tribunal has no jurisdiction in view of the decision of this Court in Mohammed Kunhi M.A. Vs. Biju and Others (I.L.R. 2008 (2) Ker. 290) that preliminary issue was considered and the Court proceeded to hold that the Tribunal has jurisdiction to the try the suit. This writ petition is directed against the said order of the Tribunal.

3. We heard Sri.S.A.Razzak, learned counsel for the petitioner, T.Krishnanunni, learned senior counsel for the Ist respondent and Sri.M.M.Saidu Muhammed, learned counsel for the 2nd respondent Wakf Board.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner would contend that the decision of the Tribunal that there is jurisdiction to try the suit is unsustainable. He took us to the plaint allegations. It is pointed out that the case of the Ist respondent is that there is a committee which is managing the affairs of the mosque and there is fraud. The allegations inter alia run as follows:

" Malayalam "

He would then submit that going by the allegations in the plaint essentially if the suit was to be decreed it would involve rem





















































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