Gauhati High Court allows Molvom Village Council to add Chakhroma Public Organisation to ongoing village identity and land dispute.
DIMAPUR — The Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court on Tuesday allowed the Molvom Village Council (MVC) to amend its petition in an ongoing dispute involving the village’s identity, a proposed railway station name change and land acquisition for Nagaki City.
The court permitted the petitioners to implead the Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO) as respondent No. 11 and incorporate additional facts and grounds into the writ petition, WP(C)/129/2025.
The amendments were sought after the petitioners said certain facts came to their knowledge following the filing of an affidavit-in-opposition by the state respondents. They referred to minutes of a meeting held at the office of the deputy commissioner, Chumoukedima, on June 5, 2024, concerning the affairs of Molvom village and the purported role played by the CPO.
The petitioners also referred to an order dated June 12, 2026, which they said they had not yet received.
Related: Court seeks report on Molvom–Medziphema dispute, extends interim protection
The court noted that the respondents had no objection to the proposed amendments and consequently allowed the application. The petitioners have been directed to file the amended writ petition before the Registry within a week, after which the main case will be listed accordingly.
The underlying case was filed by the MVC and its chief/GB against the state government, Medziphema Village Council, the Union government and the Ministry of Railways, among others.
The dispute includes an alleged move to change the name of Molvom village to Medziphema and a recommendation to change Molvom Railway Station to Medziphema Railway Station or Medziphema Railway Station (Molvom).
It also concerns the acquisition of 330 hectares at Chathe Valley for the proposed Nagaki City, with the acquisition schedule covering land in Molvom, New Socunoma and Ruzaphema villages.
In an order passed on September 1, 2025, the High Court identified three primary areas of dispute in the case: the proposed change of the village name, the proposed change of the railway station name, and the entitlement and apportionment of compensation arising from the land acquisition.
The court had also sought the stand of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on whether there was any proposal to change Molvom’s name and whether any steps had been taken in that regard. The Ministry of Railways and the Northeast Frontier Railway were directed to state their positions on the proposed railway station name change.
The court further directed the deputy commissioner of Chumoukedima to clarify whether an award had been passed in the acquisition proceedings and whether compensation had been paid.
The dispute has also had a law-and-order dimension. In the September 1, 2025 order, the court noted an affidavit from the deputy commissioner stating that the situation between Molvom and Medziphema was under control, but that families from Molvom residing in Medziphema town had been displaced and students from Molvom studying there had been affected.
The administration had stated that the district education officer instructed schools to provide online teaching facilities to affected students residing in Molvom.
The High Court had originally ordered on July 24, 2025, that the state authorities ensure protection of the lives and properties of the petitioners and that the names of Molvom village and Molvom Railway Station not be changed until the next returnable date.
On Tuesday, in the main writ petition, the court directed that the interim order passed earlier would continue until the next date of listing.
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