Can boundaries of a land parcel be measured while property is still under dispute?

This question is regarding a large plot of land comprising roughly 50 acres in the state of Kerala. The property has been fragmented into smaller bits (most of which was done between 1980s-1990s), and now multiple people (around 30 or so) own small parcels of land. All land owners hold titles and other registration deeds and no sale has been conducted since they inherited the property decades ago. One of the land owners decided to file a case last year claiming the entire plot was theirs, naming the remaining 29 people or so as defendants in their application. The case is now sub judice. The lawyers engaged by the defendants state that once the case reaches the court, it would be dismissed because there is no merit to it, and the defendants can provide a long history of continuous ownership of land (they pay taxes, upkeep the plot etc). Recently, one of the defendants decided to measure their parcel of land (approximately 1.5 acres) and mark boundaries. When the surveyor of the village came, he was served a legal notice saying that he can't survey because the matter was still in court. Is this true that a plot of land can't be measured when the property is under dispute? The reason for measuring the boundaries is because this plot is sea facing, and the said defendant wanted to protect the land from being submerged under the sea. Moreover, there is no intention to sell the land, especially considering the matter is yet to be settled in court.