2026 Supreme(Online)(Mad) 42109

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, J
Balamurugan – Appellant
Versus
District Registrar – Respondent
W.P(MD)No.13898 of 2026

Registration of a document without the original parent document is permissible if a non-traceable certificate is obtained from the police following an investigation.

Headnote:This petition involves the refusal by registration authorities to register a settlement deed due to the absence of the parent document, purportedly required under Section 34C of the Registration Act, 1908. The petitioner contended that original documents were lost and a police complaint had been filed, though a non-traceable certificate remained pending. The Court noted that in the absence of original documents, the issuance of a non-traceable certificate by the police is a prerequisite for proceeding with registration. The primary issue concerns whether the registration of a settlement deed can proceed in the absence of title documents upon submission of a non-traceable certificate. The Court reasoned that once a non-traceable certificate is obtained through due process of investigation by the police, the impediment to registration is removed, allowing the registration authority to proceed with the documentary processing. The Writ Petition was disposed of with a direction to the third respondent police to process the complaint and issue a non-traceable certificate if documents cannot be located, enabling the petitioner to re-present the deed for registration.