Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

New property registration guideline to curb fraud

By V.S. Palaniappan

Coimbatore Feb. 12. The Registration department has directed district registrars to insist on proof of the identity and signature of the seller of property before registering a document.

This move is aimed at ending fraudulent registrations and cases of impersonation cheating buyers. The new guideline has been effective since February 1, according to official sources.

In his circular, the Inspector-General of Registrations, Pradeep Yadav, pointed out that Sections 34 and 35 (1) (a) of the Registrations Act, rule 55 of Registration Rules and Chapter XI of the standing order had enough guidelines for the registering authority to convince himself of the bona fides of the documents and the identity of the persons appearing for registration.

Now the registering officer should ask for the filing of, along with the property documents, any of the following: Voter ID card, passport, driving licence, Income Tax Permanent Account Number or General Index Registration number, PDS card (in case of the buyer or the seller being the head of a family - whose photograph was available on the card), identity card issued by the employer in public limited companies, quasi-government undertakings or local bodies, bank or postal passbook with photograph, student identity card, rail or bus pass identity card, gun licence, old age pension card, handicapped certificate and freedom fighter identity card.

The authority should record the duties on the document to be registered, for future reference.

However, the new guidelines have clearly stated the existing practice of identifying the seller with the help of witnesses will also continue.

Besides the registering authorities publicising the new system through notice boards, superior officers should ensure compliance by making surprise checks and in their reviews and inspections.

Earlier, buyers, sellers and the Registration department had to merely go by signatures, which could be easily forged, and rely on the witnesses which could also be fabricated.

Move hailed

Welcoming the decision to insulate the buyers from fraudulent transactions and impersonation, K. Kathirmathiyon, secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause, has urged the department to include another clause by which the registering authority should insist on both the buyer and the seller affixing their photographs on the annexure of the document.

"When the buyer becomes a seller after a few years, it would help the buyer (at that instance) and the department in identifying sellers and buyers at a later stage", he pointed out.

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