Madras High Court Declares Section 77-A of the Registration Act Unconstitutional
In a landmark judgment, the Madras High Court declared Section 77-A of the Registration Act, 1908, unconstitutional. The contentious section, introduced through a 2022 State amendment, granted District Registrars extensive quasi-judicial powers to cancel property documents registered under fraudulent circumstances or with forged documents.
Justices S. S. Sundar and N. Senthilkumar presided over the case, stemming from a cluster of approximately 200 writ petitions challenging the amendment. The justices criticized the excessive powers conferred upon District Registrars, noting that such powers could lead to "unimaginable hardship and irretrievable damage" to the real owners of properties, impacting many across the state.
The Court highlighted that while Section 77-A might provide a swift remedy in isolated incidents, its broader implications could destabilise property ownership, turning numerous properties litigious without adequate judicial oversight. The existing sections, 22-A and 22-B of the Act, already empower officials to refuse registration of certain documents, but Section 77-A extended these powers to cancel already registered documents, a move the court found overreaching.
Aug 04, 2024
Delhi High Court Forms Committee to Examine, Reform City's Administrative, Physical, Financial In...
The Delhi High Court constituted a committee to revamp and reform the administrative, financial and physical infrastructure in the national capital.
A Division Bench Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela passed the order after noting that Delhi is going from one crisis to another and multiple authorities in the city are only passing the buck.
The Court said that the Committee will be headed by the Delhi Chief Secretary and will have the Delhi Police Commissioner, the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi as its members.
Aug 03, 2024
Supreme Court Bats for Separate Debts Recovery Tribunal for Jammu & Kashmir
The Supreme Court asked the Central government to initiate steps to set up a Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Currently, the DRT at Chandigarh serves Jammu & Kashmir.
A Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta why the government was setting up DRT benches in all States if approaching Chandigarh DRT virtually was a feasible remedy for those in the region.
The Court highlighted the unique topography of Jammu & Kashmir, and stated that it requires a DRT bench.