One Acre Approved, 7.75 Acres Sold: India’s Supreme Court Revives a Church Land Case

• India’s Supreme Court restored criminal proceedings over a Church of South India land sale
• Church records authorised the sale of one acre and a bungalow in Ananthapuramu
• The deed allegedly conveyed the entire 7.75-acre property
• The land was reportedly sold far below its apparent value

India’s Supreme Court has revived a criminal case over the sale of Church of South India land in Ananthapuramu, Andhra Pradesh, Anglican Ink reported on April 9, 2026.

The case concerns 7.75 acres held by the Church of South India Trust Association. Church records authorised the sale of only “1 acre and a bungalow”, but the final deed allegedly conveyed “the entire property”. The land was reportedly sold “for far below its apparent value”. The Supreme Court restored the criminal proceedings, saying the matter “should not have been dismissed at the threshold”, and sent the case back for trial.

The report linked the case to other disputes over church land in India, including a 2020 Bengaluru case in which authorities froze more than $8 million in assets in a separate Church of South India Trust Association matter. It pointed to the gap between ecclesiastical stewardship and civil-law documentation as the core governance problem.

The case shows how a sale can go far beyond what a church body approved.

Jamaican church boards and trustees should check that what is signed matches what was agreed. A sale agreement and transfer should describe exactly the land approved for sale, with a survey plan attached, and should be reviewed by someone independent of the buyer. An independent valuation protects the church from selling too cheaply.

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