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2007 Supreme(Mad) 4184

High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M. CHOCKALINGAM
M.P. Marimuthu
Versus
The Inspector General of Registration Santhome High Road Sahthome Chennai & Others
W.P.No.28547 of 2007 and MP No.1 of 2007
Decided On : 14-12-2007

For the Petitioner:M.M. Sundaresh, Advocate. For the Respondents:R1 & R2, L.S.M. Hasan Fizal, R3, T. Chandrasekaran, Special Government Pleader, R4, B. Easwaran, Swaraj Associates, Advocates.

The Sub Registrar cannot decide ownership or possession issues and should register a document if the conditions for registration are fulfilled. Disputes over title or possession should be resolved in a civil court.

Headnote:

certiorarified mandamus - Property Dispute - Old Survey No.144/B, New Survey No.340/3 and 346/2 - Ryotwari patta - H.R. & C.E. Department - Sub Registry - Registration of Document

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner sought to quash the proceedings of the second respondent and direct the registration of a sale deed for a piece of land. The second respondent had called for documents from the H.R. & C.E. Department, which objected to the registration based on ownership and possession issues.

Finding of the Court:

The Court found that the Sub Registrar had no authority to call for documents from a third party to decide ownership or possession issues. It held that the dispute should be resolved in a civil court, not before the Sub Registrar.

Issues: Dispute over registration of a sale deed due to objection from H.R. & C.E. Department based on ownership and possession issues.

Ratio Decidendi: The Sub Registrar cannot decide ownership or possession issues and should register a document if the conditions for registration are fulfilled. Disputes over title or possession should be resolved in a civil court.

Final Decision: The Court directed the second respondent to register the document if the conditions for registration are fulfilled.

Judgment :-

Seeking a writ of certiorarified mandamus to quash the proceedings of the second respondent in M.A.No.431/2007 dated 28. 2007, and consequently direct the respondents 1 to 2 to register the sale deed dated 28. 2007, and release the same after due registration, to the petitioner, this writ petition has been brought forth.

2. The affidavit in support of the petition is perused. The Court heard all the learned Counsel on either side.

.3. The case of the petitioner who seeks the relief, in short is that by the proceedings of the Tahsildar, Kangeyam, dated 21. 1992, patta has been issued to 27 persons for the lands situated in Old Survey No.144/B corresponding to New Survey No.340/3 and 346/2 situated in Kangeyam Village; that the said lands were purchased by one Karuppasamy and others; that the petitioner has paid the consideration for a portion of the said lands to two of its owners who have executed a sale deed in his favour on 28. 2007; that the said document was placed for registration on the very day; that the second respondent without registering the document, has returned the same by stating that as per the instructions of the first respondent, registration could be done only after waiting for 45 days and thereby, has given time to H.R. & C.E. Department to produce the courts order in that regard; that the petitioner came to know from the said order that there was an objection which appeared to have been made by the fourth respondent towards the registration; but, no objection was raised at the time of the issuance of patta in favour of the vendor, and thus, as on today, the vendor of the petitioner is not only the owner, but also in actual possession of the property; that with the owners of the property, the petitioner has also entered into sale transaction and paid the entire consideration; that while those documents are placed for registration, the registering authority cannot adjourn the registration calling for production of certain documents from the H.R. & C.E. Department, which raised objection, which is illegal, and under the circumstances, it becomes necessary that the order passed calling for production of the documents by the H.R. & C.E. Department and adjourning it for the purpose of registration after 45 days has got to be quashed and a direction be issued to the second respondent to register the document as one required in law.

4. The petitioners Counsel reiterated the averments in the petition.

5. The learned Special Government Pleader for the third respondent H.R. & C.E. Department and also the learned Counsel for the fourth respondent, the Executive Officer of the Temple, have stated that it is a case where ryotwari patta has been granted to the temple; that consequent upon the patta proceedings, patta has been issued to the vendor; that the temple was not even a party in those proceedings; but, now at this stage, ryotwari patta has been granted; that the property is vested with the temple, and under the circumstances, when the objection was raised before the Sub Registry, the H.R. & C.E. Department was not given sufficient time to produce the Courts order in this regard. The learned Counsel would further add that a third party devotee of the temple filed a civil suit stating that no encumbrance should be created on the property; that the suit is also pending; that under the circumstances, the objection raised by the H.R. & C.E. Department, was valid; that finding force in the objection raised, the Department was also directed to produce the documents within the stipulated period, and hence, the writ petition has got to be dismissed.

.6. After hearing both sides, this Court is of the considered opinion that it is a fit case where a direction has got to be issued. Admittedly, the document was placed by the petitioner, who has entered into transaction of sale with the vendor of the property in respect of a piece of land. The document is also placed for registration before the second responden

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