Kerala High Court Seeks Kerala University’s Syndicate Resolution in AKG Centre Land Dispute
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed Kerala University to place before it the Syndicate’s formal resolution regarding the proposed measurement of university land, as it continued hearing a public interest litigation challenging the alleged assignment of university property to the AKG Centre for Research and Studies. The direction came from a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M., which is examining the legality of the land allotment dating back to 1977.
The PIL has been filed by former Kerala University Joint Registrar R.S. Sasikumar, who contends that land originally allotted for the AKG Memorial Research Centre was subsequently used to establish the official state headquarters of the CPI(M). The petitioner alleges that the allotment was contrary to the intended purpose and has also questioned the legality of the assignment, claiming that records relating to the original government order are either unavailable or untraceable.
During the hearing, counsel representing Kerala University informed the Bench that the University’s Syndicate had recently resolved to undertake a comprehensive survey and measurement of all land under its possession. Seeking time to place the minutes of that meeting before the court, the University submitted that the resolution would form the basis for the proposed exercise. Accepting the request, the Bench directed the University to file an affidavit enclosing the Syndicate’s decision within two weeks.
Counsel appearing for the AKG Centre and the CPI(M), who are respondents in the case, also sought additional time to rectify defects in their counter affidavits. The High Court granted the request and adjourned the matter for two weeks, directing all parties to complete the necessary filings before the next date of hearing.
The controversy has gained renewed attention after the Kerala University Syndicate, in a recent meeting, decided to survey and demarcate all university-owned land, including the Palayam campus where the AKG Centre is situated. The move is aimed at verifying land records and identifying any unauthorized occupation or encroachment, not only in relation to the AKG Centre but across all university properties.
The litigation raises significant questions about the management of public university assets and the legality of historic land assignments to private or political entities. While the petitioner seeks restoration of the land allegedly encroached upon, the respondents are expected to defend the validity of the decades-old allotment. The High Court’s eventual decision is likely to have wider implications for public land governance, institutional accountability, and the scrutiny of historical government land transfers in Kerala.
