Madras High Court
N.Pon Nishanth vs The Inspector General Of Registration on 7 January, 2025
Author: G.K.Ilanthiraiyan
Bench: G.K.Ilanthiraiyan
W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
DATED: 07.01.2025
CORAM
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN
W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025
N.Pon Nishanth ... Petitioner
Vs.
1.The Inspector General of Registration,
Registration Department,
Santhome High Road,
Raja Annamalaipuram,
Chennai-600 009.
2.The District Registrar (Administration),
District Registrar Office,
Collector Office Campus,
Kokkirakulam,
Palayamkottai,
Tirunelveli District.
3.The Sub-Registrar,
Office of the Sub-Registrar,
Panagudi,
Tirunelveli District. ... Respondents
Prayer: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying to
issue a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, to call for the records pertaining to
the impugned Refusal Check Slip under RFL/Panagudi/60/2024, dated
17.12.2024 issued by the third respondent and quash the same and pass suitable
orders to the third respondent to register the Sale Deed dated under document in
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis
1/9
W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025
TP/199324979/2024 dated 17.12.2024 in the name of the petitioner, in respect
of the agricultural lands to an extent of 10 cents comprised in Survey No.
898/1A1B, Levinjipuram Village, Radhapuram Taluk, Tirunelveli District.
For Petitioner : Mr.G.Aravinthan
for M/S.Aran Legal Consultancy
For Respondents : Mr.S.P.Maharajan
Special Government Pleader
ORDER
This writ petition has been filed challenging the refusal check slip issued by the third respondent, dated 17.12.2024 thereby, refused to register the sale deed on the ground there is a bar under Section 22-A(2) of the Registration Act.
2. By consent of both parties, the Writ Petition is taken up for final disposal at the admission stage itself.
3. Heard the learned counsel appearing on either side and perused the materials placed before this Court.
4. The Punja land measuring 21 cents comprised in S.No.898/1A1B situated at Levinjipuram Village, Radhapuram Taluk was originally purchased https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 2/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 by one D.Jegadeesh Rajan and J.Sahaya Selvarani vide document No.3286 of 2023. Thereafter, both were entered into a partition and 11 cents of the property was allotted in favour of Sahaya Selvarani by the partition dated dated 05.09.2023. The remaining 10 cents was allotted in favour of Jegadeesh Rajan. In turn the said Jegadeesh Rajan had executed the sale deed in favour of the petitioner in respect of the subject property. The said sale deed was presented for registeration, however, it was refused to register the same on the ground that there is a bar under Section 22-A of the Registration Act.
5. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the entire land is classified as Punja land and already coconut trees were planting in the subject property. Therefore, there is absolutely no reason to believe that it is a house plot.
6. On perusal of the order impugned in this writ petition revealed that already there was an audit objection in respect of registration of the partition deed by the petitioner's vendor and another. In respect of its sub division into house plots the provision under Section 22-A of the Registration Act was inserted by the Tamil Nadu Amendment Act 2 of 2009 with effect from 20.10.2016. It is relevant to extract Section 22-A of the Act hereunder:-
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 3/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 “22-A. Refusal to register certain documents .— Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the registering officer shall refuse to register any of the following documents, namely:— (1)instrument relating to the transfer of immovable properties by way of sale, gift, mortgage, exchange or lease,—
(i) belonging to the State Government or the local authority or Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority established under section 9-A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971;
(ii) belonging to, or given or endowed for the purpose of, any religious institution to which the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Act, 1959 is applicable;
(iii) donated for Bhoodan Yagna and vested in the Tamil Nadu State Bhoodan Yagna Board established under section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Bhoodan Yagna Act, 1958; or
(iv) of Wakfs which are under the superintendence of the Tamil Nadu Wakf Board established under the Wakf Act, 1995, unless a sanction in this regard issued by the competent authority as provided under the relevant Act or in the absence of any such authority, an authority so authorised by the State Government for this purpose, is produced before the registering officer;
(2) instrument relating to the transfer of ownership of lands converted as house sites without the permission for development of such land from planning authority concerned:
Provided that the house sites without such permission https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 4/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 may be registered if it is shown that the same house site has been previously registered as house site.
Explanation I.—For the purpose of this section ‘local authority’ means,—
(i) any Municipal Corporation constituted under any law for the time being in force; or
(ii) a Municipal Council constituted under the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920 ; or
(iii) a Panchayat Union Council or a Village Panchayat constituted under the Tamil Nadu Panchayats Act, 1994 ; or
(iv) any other Municipal Corporation, that may be constituted under any law for the time being in force.
Explanation II.—For the purpose of this section ‘planning authority’ means the authority constituted under section 11 of, and includes the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority established under section 9-A of the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, 1971;
(3) instrument relating to cancellation of sale deeds without the consent of the person claiming under the said sale deed.”
7.Though the proviso to Section 22-A(2) of the Act says that the house sites without such permission may be registered if it is shown that the same house site has been previously registered as house site, since the petitioner is the developer and it is the first sale, the proviso to Section 22-A(2) https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 5/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 is not applicable to the case on hand. That apart, the Regularization of Unapproved Plots and Layouts Rules, 2017 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Rules') were made by G.O.(Ms)No.78, Housing and Urban Development [UD4(3)] Department, dated 04.05.2017. The Rule 3 of says about cut off date for considering the regularization of unapproved plots and layouts. It is relevant to extract Rule 3 hereunder:-
“3.Cut-off date for considering regularisation of unapproved plots and layouts.– Only those unapproved layouts where a part or full number of plots have been sold through a registered sale deed as on 20th October, 2016 shall be considered for regularization under these rules. Similarly, all plots including unsold ones are eligible for regularization in layouts where at least a part of the total number of plots have been sold through a registered sale deed as on 20th October, 2016. Individual plot in a sub-division registered by a sale or title deed as on 20th October, 2016 shall also be eligible for regularization. As proof and evidence, the plot holder or the layout promoter is required to furnish copies of the sale deed or title deed for the plots sold. Agreement for sale or General Power of Attorney shall not be considered as evidence for proof of sale of plot.”
8. From the above, it is clear that all plots including unsold ones are eligible for regularization in layouts, where at least a part of the total number of https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 6/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 plots have been sold through a registered sale deed as on 20.10.2016 and individual plot in a sub-division registered by a sale or title deed as on 20.10.2016 shall also be eligible for regularization. Therefore, the subject plot, which is now stopped for registration, is required for regularization. It is being the first sale, the judgment cited by the learned counsel for the petitioners is not applicable to the case on hand.
9. Thus, it is clear that the unapproved plots cannot be registered and it is liable to be regularised. That apart, the consequences of non-regularisation if the house plot is not regularised, electricity, water supply and other amenities shall not be extended to such unapproved plot or layout. Such unapproved plot shall not be registered under the Registration Act 1908. Further, no building approval shall be given by the authorities concerned for such unapproved plot. In order to give effect to the consequences, the plots shall be regularised in the manner known to law. Therefore, the subject property is dropped for registration and it requires regularisation.
10. Therefore, the third respondent has rightly refused to register the same and this Court finds no infirmity or illegality in the order passed by the third respondent and it is liable to be dismissed. https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 7/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025
11. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed. No costs.
Internet : Yes
Index : Yes/No 07.01.2025
Speaking/Non Speaking order
am
To
1.The Inspector General of Registration,
Registration Department,
Santhome High Road,
Raja Annamalaipuram,
Chennai-600 009.
2.The District Registrar (Administration), District Registrar Office, Collector Office Campus, Kokkirakulam, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli District.
3.The Sub-Registrar, Office of the Sub-Registrar, Panagudi, Tirunelveli District.
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 8/9 W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN, J.
am W.P (MD).No.205 of 2025 07.01.2025 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 9/9