109. Procedure on acceptance for registration-Identity of persons appearing.
- When a document is accepted for registration the prescribed fees should be levied and the necessary entries made in the fees book. The counterfeit receipt should then be prepared and the receipts for the document and the fees delivered to the presenter. The registering officer should then, with as little delay as possible, enquiry whether the document was executed by the alleged executant and satisfy himself as to Identity of the person appearing before him to admit execution he should also satisfy himself, that the person admitting execution has read and understood the contents of the document and should if the person is illiterate or cannot read and understand the documents will explain the nature and contents to him. If the presenter be the executant or his representative, assign or agent, and if such executant, representative, assign or agent be present, the registering officer shall make the necessary enquiry at once.When the registering officer is not personally acquainted with executants he shall require them to produce persons to testify to their Identity such persons, shall, if possible, be persons known to the registering officer personally, or failing these, persons of apparent respectibility. Any distinctive physical peculiarity or marked deformity in a party or witness should be noted in the endorsement. But a descriptive roll need not be recorded except in suspicious cases. This procedure must be in addition to, and not take the place of, the procedure required by section 34, that the registering officer shall satisfy himself of their identity. Such descriptive rolls afford in themselves no proof of identity.
