Tag: Revenue Records

Registered Release Deeds Are Binding: Supreme Court Sets New Precedent in Family Partition Case
19Jan By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Registered Release Deeds Are Binding: Supreme Court Sets New Precedent in Family Partition Case

The Supreme Court held that unregistered partition deeds can be used collaterally to prove severance of joint family status and subsequent separate possession. Valid registered release deeds by coparceners are immediately effective to sever their interest, not contingent on being "acted upon," and can create an equitable estoppel against future claims. Facts Of The Case: The case involves a partition suit concerning the joint family property of Pillappa, who died in 1969. The plaintiffs, his sons and daughters, sought division of Schedule A properties (ancestral) and Schedule B properties (purchased jointly in the names of defendant no. 5, a son, and defendant no. 6, a son-in-law). Defendant no. 5 contested, claiming a prior partition between him and plaintiff no. 1 in 1972 via an ...
Read More
Supreme Court Judgment: Family Gifts & Registered Deeds Matter More Than Authority Claims
23Dec By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Judgment: Family Gifts & Registered Deeds Matter More Than Authority Claims

The Supreme Court upheld the exemption from Open Space Reservation charges under Annexure XX of the Development Regulations, applicable to holdings below 3000 square metres. It affirmed that a lawful pre-1975 subdivision, evidenced by registered deeds and revenue records, created a separate holding, preventing the authority from notionally recombining it with a larger parent estate to levy charges. Facts Of The Case: The property originated from the estate of Haji Syed Ali Akbar Ispahani. Following a 1949 partition, 21 grounds in Nunganbakkam were allotted to his son, Syed Jawad Ispahani. In 1972 and 1973, Syed Jawad gifted 11 grounds to his own son, Syed Ali Ispahani, via registered deeds, and separate pattas were issued for this holding. In 1984, Syed Ali gifted a small portion (125 sq...
Read More
Supreme Court on Oral Gifts: Why Possession is Key in Muslim Law (Hiba)
1Dec By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court on Oral Gifts: Why Possession is Key in Muslim Law (Hiba)

The Supreme Court clarified that a valid Hiba (gift under Muslim Law) requires conclusive proof of declaration, acceptance, and delivery of possession. Mere oral claims or a memorandum are insufficient without contemporaneous evidence of the donee acting upon the gift. The Court also emphasized that declaratory suits must be filed within three years from when the right to sue first accrues, and long delays can render a suit barred by limitation. Facts Of The Case: Khadijabee was the original owner of an agricultural land. She allegedly made an oral gift (Hiba) of 10 acres to her daughter, Syeda Arifa Parveen (the Plaintiff), in 1988, followed by a memorandum of gift in 1989. After Khadijabee's death in 1990, her husband, Abdul Basit, mutated the entire property in his name. In 1995, ...
Read More
Supreme Court Backs Landowners: Unused ‘Bachat’ Land Doesn’t Belong to Panchayat
6Nov By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Backs Landowners: Unused ‘Bachat’ Land Doesn’t Belong to Panchayat

The Supreme Court upheld that lands contributed by proprietors during consolidation proceedings, but not specifically reserved or utilized for common purposes (known as bachat land), do not vest in the Gram Panchayat or the State. Relying on the doctrine of stare decisis and Constitution Bench precedents, the Court affirmed that such land continues to belong to the original proprietors, dismissing the State's appeal. Facts Of The Case: The case originated from a challenge by landowners (respondents) to an amendment made by the State of Haryana in 1992 to the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961. This amendment, via Haryana Act No. 9 of 1992, expanded the definition of "shamilat deh" (village common land) to include lands reserved for common purposes under the consolidation ...
Read More
Landmark Property Judgement: Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Needed for Possession & Declaration Suits
16Oct By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Landmark Property Judgement: Supreme Court Clarifies Evidence Needed for Possession & Declaration Suits

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's reversal of concurrent findings, ruling that a title deed is primary evidence of ownership. Mere presence of waste or manure on a property does not establish possession for the defendant. A declaratory suit under Section 34 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963, is maintainable when the defendant fails to prove their own possession. Facts Of The Case: The plaintiff, Suresh Tukaram Nerkar, filed a suit for declaration of his ownership and possession, and for a consequential permanent injunction against the defendants. His claim was based on a sale deed (Ext. 81) purportedly covering 150 square metres of land, which included a residential building on one portion ('ABCD') and an adjacent open plot ('PCDF'). The suit was triggered by the defendants, parti...
Read More
Supreme Court Says Long-Term Cohabitation Can Prove Valid Marriage for Inheritance Claims: Landmark Ruling
26Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Says Long-Term Cohabitation Can Prove Valid Marriage for Inheritance Claims: Landmark Ruling

This Supreme Court judgment reinforces that under Section 50 of the Indian Evidence Act, the opinion of a person with special means of knowledge is relevant to prove a familial relationship. It upholds the legal presumption of a valid marriage from long-term cohabitation. The Court also affirmed that a party's failure to enter the witness box, when facts are within their exclusive knowledge, warrants an adverse inference under Section 114(g). Revenue records do not confer title but only have fiscal value. Facts Of The Case: The dispute centered on the inheritance rights to the properties of Dasabovi, who had died intestate. The plaintiffs, Venkatappa and Siddamma, claimed to be his legitimate children from his first wife, Bheemakka. They alleged that after their father married a second w...
Read More
Supreme Court Modifies Order: Pre-1996 Encroachments on Forest Land Spared from Eviction
26Sep By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Modifies Order: Pre-1996 Encroachments on Forest Land Spared from Eviction

The Supreme Court modified its earlier order concerning forest land regularization. It declined to exempt small fragmented land parcels from being declared as protected forest but clarified the state could utilize them for purposes under Section 3(2) of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, following due procedure. The Court also allowed a one-time exemption for pre-December 1996 encroachments on specified categories of land, as recommended by the Central Empowered Committee. Facts Of The Case: The case originates from the landmark Godavarman Thirumulpad vs. Union of India case (W.P.(C) No.202 of 1995), which deals extensively with forest conservation across India. Within this ongoing litigation, an Interim Application (I.A. No.12465/2019) was filed concerning the classification and treatme...
Read More
Supreme Court Rules on Oral Family Arrangement: Legal Heirs Can’t Overturn Registered Will
16Aug By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Rules on Oral Family Arrangement: Legal Heirs Can’t Overturn Registered Will

The Supreme Court upheld the validity of a registered Will executed by Metpalli Rajanna, recognizing its presumption of genuineness under law. The Court ruled that the burden to disprove the Will lay on the contesting party, which was not discharged. It emphasized that the oral family settlement, supported by possession and revenue records, further validated the Will's distribution of properties. The trial court's decree granting absolute rights to the plaintiff under the Will was restored, overturning the High Court's interference. The judgment reaffirmed the sanctity of registered Wills and family arrangements in property disputes. Facts Of The Case: The case involved a dispute over 4 acres and 16 guntas of land in Dasnapur village between the legal heirs of Metpalli Rajanna. Rajanna, ...
Read More
Supreme Court : Sale Deeds Executed After Property Power of Attorney Revoked Are Invalid
10Jun By The Legal ChamberNo Comments
Supreme Court

Supreme Court : Sale Deeds Executed After Property Power of Attorney Revoked Are Invalid

The Supreme Court clarified that an unregistered agreement to sell or power of attorney does not confer title or interest in immovable property. The Court emphasized that property transfer requires a registered deed of conveyance. It also ruled that a plaint cannot be rejected entirely under Order VII Rule 11 CPC if even one distinct cause of action is triable. Facts Of The Case: Vinod Infra Developers Ltd. (appellant) claimed ownership of agricultural land and obtained a loan of Rs. 7.5 crores from Mahaveer Lunia (Respondent No. 1) in May 2014. The appellant's Board of Directors authorized their Managing Director and Respondent No. 1 to sell the property. Subsequently, an unregistered power of attorney and agreement to sell were executed in favor of Respondent No. 1 on May 24, 2014.In A...
Read More