The Supreme Court has held that the Tamil Nadu government cannot arbitrarily take away people’s land rights in connection with the Thalambur land dispute in Kancheepuram district. The court also set aside the “status quo” order that had remained in force since 2019, effectively lifting a six-year freeze.
The dispute traces back to allegations raised in 2018 that land in Thalambur village had been illegally allotted to freedom fighters and private individuals. In 2019, the state government approached the Supreme Court and obtained a status quo order to maintain the existing position.
As a result, registrations for more than 800 residential units built for military personnel and officials were stalled. Homebuyers reportedly faced prolonged hardship for six years without patta and basic amenities.
The Madras High Court, while hearing a public interest petition filed in 2018, later cancelled the state’s status quo order. The Tamil Nadu government appealed, and the Supreme Court had granted an interim stay on the High Court’s decision in 2019.
Hearing the matter again, a bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Vinod Chandran said the government cannot claim ownership over land after 30–40 years and cannot turn back the clock to deprive innocent citizens of their rights. The court directed that a committee headed by a retired judge complete its inquiry within four months, and asked the state to take a final decision within the next two months.
