CHENNAI: President Droupadi Murmu has given her assent to a bill adopted by Tamil Nadu Assembly to amend the Registration Act, 1908, to cancel the registration done with forged documents or impersonation.
Minister for Commercial Taxes and Registration P Moorthy has termed the assent ‘historic’ and thanked Chief Minister M K Stalin for bringing in the path-breaking legislation.
Under the new law, the government added Sections 77-A and 77-B. Under Section 77-A, the registrar could issue a show-cause notice asking why the registration shall not be cancelled; on consideration of the reply, the registrar may cancel the registration and enter the cancellation in the relevant books and indices. Section 77-B allows any person aggrieved by an order of the registrar under Sub-section (1) of Section 77-A to file an appeal with the Inspector-General within 30 days of cancellation.
Currently, the provisions of the Registration Act, 1908 (Central Act XVI of 1908), do not empower the registering officer or any other authority to cancel document once registered, even on grounds of fraud and impersonation, causing grave hardship to those cheated.
Several circulars have been issued by the Inspector General of Registration in regard to verification of original title deeds, encumbrance certificates, revenue records etc before registration by the registering officers to prevent fraud, forgery and impersonation in registration of immovable properties.
The Madras High Court has also issued instructions to the government to frame appropriate rules incorporating the circular issued by the Inspector-General of Registration for the purpose.