(A) As to the Register-books and Indexes
51. Register-books to be kept in the several offices.—(1) The following books shall be kept in the
several offices hereinafter named, namely:—
A—In all registration offices—
Book 1, “Register of non-testamentary documents relating to immovable property”.
Book 2, “Record of reasons for refusal to register”.
Book 3, “Register of wills and authorities to adopt”, and
Book 4, “Miscellaneous Register”.
B—In the offices of Registrars—
Book 5, “Register of deposits of wills”.
(2) In Book 1 shall be entered or filed all documents or memoranda registered under sections 17, 18
and 89 which relate to immovable property, and are not wills.
(3) In Book 4 shall be entered all documents registered under clauses (d) and (f) of section 18 which
do not relate to immovable property.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be deemed to require more than one set of books where the office of
the Registrar has been amalgamated with the office of a Sub-Registrar.
52. Duties of registering officers when document presented.—(1) (a) The day, hour and place of
presentation, 1
[the photographs and finger prints affixed under section 32A,] and the signature of every
person presenting a document for registration, shall be endorsed on every such document at the time of
presenting it;
(b) a receipt for such document shall be given by the registering officer to the person presenting
the same; and
(c) subject to the, provisions contained in section 62, every document admitted to registration
shall without unnecessary delay be copied in the book appropriated therefore according to the order
of its admission.
(2) All such books shall be authenticated at such intervals and in such manner as is from time to time
prescribed by the Inspector-General.
53. Entries to be numbered consecutively.—All entries in each book shall be numbered in a
consecutive series, which shall commence and terminate with the year, a fresh series being commenced at
the beginning of each year.
54. Current indexes and entries therein.—In every office in which any of the books hereinbefore
mentioned are kept, there shall be prepared current indexes of the contents of such books; and every entry
in such indexes shall be made, so far as practicable, immediately after the registering officer has copied,
or filed a memorandum of, the document to which it relates.
55. Indexes to be made by registering officers, and their contents.—(1) Four such indexes shall be
made in all registration offices, and shall be named, respectively, Index No. I, Index No. II, Index No. Ill
and Index No. IV.
1. Ins. by Act 48 of 2001, s. 7 (w.e.f. 24-9-2001).
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(2) Index No. I shall contain the names and additions of all persons executing and of all persons
claiming under every document entered or memorandum filed in Book No. 1.
(3) Index No. II shall contain such particulars mentioned in section 21 relating to every such
document and memorandum as the Inspector-General from time to time directs in that behalf.
(4) Index No. III shall contain the names and additions of all persons executing every will and
authority entered in Book No. 3, and of the executors and persons respectively appointed thereunder, and
after the death of the testator or the donor (but not before) the names and additions of all persons claiming
under the same.
(5) Index No. IV shall contain the names and additions of all persons executing and of all persons
claiming under every document entered in Book No. 4.
(6) Each Index shall contain such other particulars, and shall be prepared in such form, as the
Inspector-General from time to time directs.
56. [Copy of entries in Indexes Nos. I, II and III to be sent by Sub-Registrar to Registrar and filed
(Repealed)] Rep. by the Indian Registration (Amendment) Act, 1929 (15 of 1929), s. 2.
(B) As to the procedure on admitting to registration
57. Registering officers to allow inspection of certain books and indexes, and to give certified
copies of entries.—(1) Subject to the previous payment of the fees payable in that behalf, the Books Nos.
1 and 2 and the Indexes relating to Book No. 1 shall be at all time open to inspection by any person
applying to inspect the same; and, subject to the provisions of section 62, copies or entries in such books
shall be given to all persons applying for such copies.
(2) Subject to the same provisions, copies of entries in Book No. 3 and in the Index relating thereto
shall be given to the persons executing the documents to which such entries relate, or to their agents, and
after the death of the executants (but not before) to any person applying for such copies.
(3) Subject to the same provisions, copies of entries in Book No. 4 and in the Index relating thereto
shall be given to any person executing or claiming under the documents to which such entries
respectively refer, or to his agent or representative.
(4) The requisite search, under this section for entries in Book Nos. 3. and 4 shall be made only by the
registering officer.
(5) All copies given under this section shall be signed and sealed by the registering officer, and shall
be admissible for the purpose of proving the contents of the original documents.
58. Particulars to be endorsed on documents admitted to registration.—(1) On every document
admitted to registration, other than a copy of a decree or order, or a copy sent to a registering officer
under section 89, there shall be endorsed from time to time the following particulars, namely:—
(a) the signature and addition of every person admitting the execution of the document, and, if
such execution has been admitted by the representative, assign or agent of any person, the signature
and addition of such representative, assign or agent;
(b) the signature and addition of every person examined in reference to such document under any
of the provisions of this Act; and
(c) any payment of money or delivery of goods made in the presence of the registering officer in
reference to the execution of the document, and any admission of receipt of consideration, in whole or
in part, made in his presence in reference to such execution.
(2) If any person admitting the execution of a document refuses to endorse the same, the registering
officer shall nevertheless register it, but shall at the same time endorse a note of such refusal.
59. Endorsements to be dated and signed by registering officer.—The registering officer shall
affix the date and his signature to all endorsements made under sections 52 and 58, relating to the
same document and made in his presence on the same day.
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60. Certificate of registration.—(1) After such of the provisions of sections 34, 35, 58 and 59 as
apply to any document presented for registration have been complied with, the registering officer shall
endorse thereon a certificate containing the word “registered”, together with the number and page of the
book in which the document has been copied.
61. Endorsements and certificate to be copied and document returned.—(1) The endorsements
and certificate referred to and mentioned in sections 59 and 60 shall thereupon be copied into the margin
of the Register-book, and the copy of the map or plan (if any) mentioned in section 21 shall be filed in
Book No. 1.
(2) The registration of the document shall thereupon be deemed complete, and the document shall
then be returned to the person who presented the same for registration, or to such other person (if any) as
he has nominated in writing in that behalf on the receipt mentioned in section 52.
62. Procedure on presenting document in language unknown to registering officer.—(1) When a
document is presented for registration under section 19, the translation shall be transcribed in the register
of documents of the nature of the original, and, together with the copy referred to in section 19, shall be
filed in the registration office.
(2) The endorsements and certificate respectively mentioned in sections 59 and 60 shall be made on
the original, and, for the purpose of making the copies and memoranda required by sections 57, 64, 65
and 66, the translation shall be treated as if it were the original.
63. Power to administer oaths and record of substance of statements.—(1) Every registering
officer may, at his discretion, administer an oath to any person examined by him under the provisions of
this Act.
(2) Every such officer may also at his discretion record a note of the substance of the statement made
by each such person, and such statement shall be read over, or (if made in a language with which such
person is not acquainted) interpreted to him in a language with which he is acquainted, and, if he admits
the correctness of such note, it shall be signed by the registering officer.
(3) Every such note so signed shall be admissible for the purpose of proving that the statements
therein recorded were made by the persons and under the circumstances therein stated.
(C) Special duties of Sub-Registrar
64. Procedure where document relates to land in several sub-districts.—Every Sub-Registrar on
registering a non-testamentary document relating to immovable property not wholly situate in his own
sub-district shall make a memorandum thereof and of the endorsement and certificate (if any) thereon,
and send the same to every other Sub-Registrar subordinate to the same Registrar as himself in whose
sub-district any part of such property is situate, and such Sub-Registrar shall file the memorandum in his
Book No. 1.
65. Procedure where document relates to land in several districts.—(1) Every Sub-Registrar on
registering a non-testamentary document relating to immovable property situate in more districts than one
shall also forward a copy thereof and of the endorsement and certificate (if any) thereon, together with a
copy of the map or plan (if any) mentioned in section 21, to the Registrar of every district in which any
part of such property is situate other than the district in which his own sub-district is situate.
(2) The Registrar on receiving the same shall file in his Book No. 1 the copy of the document and the
copy of the map or plan (if any), and shall forward a memorandum of the document to each of the SubRegistrars subordinate to him within whose sub-district any part of such property is situate; and every
Sub-Registrar receiving such memorandum shall file in his Book No. 1.
(D) Special duties of Registrar
66. Procedure after registration of documents relating to land.—(1) On registering any nontestamentary document relating to immovable properly, the Registrar shall forward a memorandum of
such document to each Sub-Registrar subordinate to himself in whose sub-district any part of the property
is situate.
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(2) The Registrar shall also forward a copy of such document, together with a copy of the map or plan
(if any) mentioned in section 21, to every other Registrar in whose district any part of such property is
situate.
(3) Such Registrar on receiving any such copy shall file it in his Book No. 1, and shall also send a
memorandum of the copy to each of the Sub-Registrars subordinate to him within whose sub-district any
part of the property is situate.
(4) Every Sub-Registrar receiving any memorandum under this section shall file it in his Book No. 1.
67. [Procedure after registration under section 30, sub-section (2).] Omitted by the Registration and
Other Related Laws (Amendment) Act, 2001 (48 of 2001), s. 8 (w.e.f. 24-9-2001).
(E) Of the Controlling powers of Registrar and Inspector-General
68. Power of Registrar to superintend and control Sub-Registrars.—(1) Every Sub-Registrar
shall perform the duties of his office under the superintendence and control of the Registrar in whose
district the office of such Sub-Registrar is situate.
(2) Every Registrar shall have authority to issue (whether on complaint or otherwise) any order
consistent with this Act which he considers necessary in respect of any act or omission of any SubRegistrar subordinate to him or in respect of the rectification of any error regarding the book or the office
in which any document has been registered.
69. Power of Inspector-General to superintend registration offices and make rules.—(1) The
Inspector-General shall exercise a general superintendence over all the registration offices in the
territories under the 1
[State Government], and shall have power from time to time to make rules consistent
with this Act—
(a) providing for the safe custody of books, papers and documents;
2
***
3
[(aa) providing the manner in which and the safeguards subject to which the books may be kept
in computer floppies or diskettes or in any other electronic form under sub-section (1) of section
16A;]
(b) declaring what language shall be deemed to be commonly used in each district;
(c) declaring what territorial divisions shall be recognized under section 21;
(d) regulating the amount of fines imposed under sections 25 and 34, respectively;
(e) regulating the exercise of the discretion reposed in the registering officer by section 63;
(f) regulating the form in which registering officers are to make memoranda of documents;
(g) regulating the authentication by Registrars and Sub-Registrars of the books kept in their
respective offices under section 51;
4
[(gg) regulating the manner in which the instruments referred to in sub-section (2) of section 88
may be presented for registration;]
(h) declaring the particulars to be contained in Indexes Nos. I, II, III and IV, respectively;
(i) declaring the holidays that shall be observed in the registration offices; and
(j) generally, regulating the proceedings of the Registrars and Sub-Registrars.
(2) The rules so made shall be submitted to the 1
[State Government] for approval, and, after they have
been approved, they shall be published in the 5
[Official Gazette], and on publication shall have effect as if
enacted in this Act.
1. Subs. by the A.O. 1950, for "Provincial Government".
2. The words “and also for the destruction of such books, papers and documents as need no longer be kept” rep. by Act 5 of
1917, s. 6 and the Schedule.
3. Ins. by Act 48 of 2001, s. 9 (w.e.f. 24-9-2001).
4. Ins. by Act 39 of 1948, s. 4.
5. Subs. by the A.O. 1937, for “Local Official Gazette”.
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70. Power of Inspector-General to remit fines.—The Inspector-General may also, in the exercise of
his discretion, remit wholly or in part the difference between any fine levied under section 25 or section
34, and the amount of the proper registration fee.