Kerala Court Upholds Sale of Cheruvally Estate Linked to Sabarimala Airport Project

The Sub Court in Pala ruled against the Kerala government on January 19, 2026, upholding the 2005 sale of the 2,263-acre Cheruvally estate by Harrisons Malayalam Limited to Ayana Charitable Trust, linked to the Believers' Church. The estate, located in Kottayam district, is the proposed site for the Sabarimala International Greenfield Airport. The government had claimed the land was state-owned and illegally transferred, while the Trust asserted ownership through adverse possession, supported by tax records. The ruling follows earlier conflicting decisions and may impact other plantation land disputes in Kerala.