Vellore Waqf row: Collector allays villagers’ fears after dargah's rent claim
Dargah caretaker claims Waqf ownership over Kattukollai land; 150 families march to Collector’s office with documents in hand
Villagers in Kattukollai, located in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district, were left stunned after the caretaker of a local dargah claimed that the land they reside on belongs to the Waqf Board. F Syed Satham, the caretaker, demanded that the residents start paying rent to the dargah management or face action under Waqf laws.
Satham asserted that he possessed documents proving the land’s Waqf ownership dating back to 1954. His notice to villagers has triggered widespread outrage, with nearly 150 families marching to the district administration for help.
In response, the Vellore District Collector has urged villagers not to pay any rent for now, advising restraint until the matter is resolved.
Caretaker’s claim
According to Satham, the dargah has valid documentation backing its claim. “Actually, I have given a notice to the village people who are residing there in our Waqf,” he said. “It shows that from the year 1954 itself… it has been mentioned that the property belongs to our Waqf.”
He further added, “Even from the Waqf Board, they have given us a performance report… they themselves know it belongs to our Masjid property.”
Satham clarified that the dargah is only seeking land rent, not building rent or other taxes. He said some residents have already acknowledged the ownership but have yet to formalize rental agreements.
Residents fight back
The notice has caused unrest in the community. About 150 families with government-issued land documents approached the Vellore Collector’s office, demanding official intervention. Satham's warning that the land would be deemed “encroached property” if villagers failed to comply has only escalated tensions.
His call for a formal agreement and rental payments was rejected outright by villagers who maintain that the land is rightfully theirs.
The district administration, stepping in, has asked the residents not to engage with the rent demand until further legal clarity is achieved.
With both villagers and the dargah management standing firm on their claims, the Kattukollai land dispute may now head for legal scrutiny. The incident again brought attention to land records involving religious endowments and the complexities surrounding them in Tamil Nadu.
Other sites
This is not the first instance of land ownership disputes involving the Waqf Board in Tamil Nadu. The 1,500-year-old Chandrasekharaswamy Temple in Thiruchendurai village of Trichy district also stands on land recorded as Waqf property. However, the Waqf Board has not made any claims on that site.
Similarly, in Suriyur, another village in Trichy, a 1,000-year-old temple and nine surrounding ponds fall under Waqf ownership, though these areas have remained largely dispute-free so far.
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