The Madras High Court has declared 77-A of the Registration Act, 1908 as unconstitutional Section.
It conferred excessive quasi-judicial power on the District Registrars to cancel documents related to any immovable property in the State if they were found to have been registered through fraud or on submission of forged revenue records.
Section 77-A, introduced to the Central enactment by way of a 2022 State amendment.
Sections 22-A and 22-B of the Act empower Registration Department officials to refuse registration of certain documents.
Section 77-A empowers them to cancel documents registered in contravention of those two provisions.