Several residents  in a Hindu dominated village in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore have been asked to vacate their land or pay a monthly rent by a local Dargah, which has laid its claim on the property. These residents live in the areas for four generations. 

B Upendran | HENB | Vellore | April 5, 2025:: A controversy has erupted in a village named Kattukollai in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district, where around 200 Hindu families have received a notice from a Muslim individual, Syed Satham, claiming the land they occupy belongs to a local Dargah and is a Waqf property. Satham has demanded that the villagers either pay a monthly rent or vacate the land.

The Hindu villagers, who have been residing in the area for four generations, have expressed concerns over the notice. A petition submitted to the Vellore Collectorate by Hindu Munnani leader Mahesh and a few villagers stated that they have been living on the land for decades and are shocked by the sudden claim.

The situation has escalated tensions in the village, with many residents expressing fears about their homes and livelihoods. The notice has sparked a heated debate about Waqf properties and the powers of Waqf boards, which are already under scrutiny.

This incident comes amid an ongoing row over the Waqf Act in various regions across the country. The controversy surrounding the Waqf Amendment Act 2025 has sparked intense debates and protests, with many questioning the implications of the Act on land ownership and minority rights. Now this situation in Vellore villages highlights the controversy surrounding the Waqf Act, proving once again the danger of the Act which should have been abolished in total without any amendment.

The Vellore Collectorate has received the petition, and further action is awaited. The villagers are anxiously waiting for a resolution to the issue, which has put their homes and livelihoods at stake. The outcome of this case may have far-reaching implications for Waqf properties in the region.

“Our Land is registered, we have paid water tax, but now we have received a notice saying that the land is a Waqf Property. 200 families have received this notice,” a villager said.

The petitioners urged the district administration to issue patta to the villagers as members of the local dargha are allegedly threatening the villagers into paying a monthly rent.

“Around 150 villagers of Kattukollai village received a notice from Syed Ali Masjid at Virinchipuram. The notice claims that the village’s land belongs to Waqf property…4 generations have been living in Kattukollai, they have also paid their taxes. We met the Collector and he assured us that the land belongs to the government and is not Waqf property,” Hindu Munnani functionary, Praveen Kumar said.

Another Hindu Munnani functionary, Mahesh, said, “The Waqf Bill has passed recently, and suddenly, they have started asking for tax for land. In Vellore, many villagers are facing similar issues”

It is revealed that when a reporter of Times Now contacted Syed Satham, he claimed he had supporting documents to prove that the land belongs to the local Dargha. When asked for a copy of the documents, he said he would share it only in person.

BJP MLA Vanathi Srinivasan said several such instances have surfaced across the state and country. “This is why the government has brought the Waqf Act, to protect the interest of the people and ownership of properties. This is a kind of reform act to avoid all these kinds of conflicts of interest. Now the people will realise the importance of this act…” she added.

The recent Vellore village incident highlights concerns about land ownership and potential land jihad, despite the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.
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_Inputs from Times Now and ANI.