Specific Performance – Registration Act, 1908 – Section 17(1)(f), Section 49 – Unregistered Sale Agreement – Admissibility in Evidence.
2025 KER 45599 : 2025 (6) KLR 250 : 2025 KLT OnLine 2191
Kerala High Court
Sathish Ninan & P. Krishna Kumar, JJ.
RFA Nos. 593/2017 & 75/2019, 25 June 2025
Agreement for sale of immovable property executed on 20.01.2014 for 1.26 acres at Rs.9,000/- per cent – Plaintiff paid full consideration and purchased stamp paper, but defendant failed to execute sale deed – Trial court decreed specific performance and dismissed defendant’s counterclaim – Defendant appealed, contending unregistered agreement inadmissible due to Kerala Amendment Act, 2012, mandating registration of sale agreements.
Held: Proviso to Section 49 allows unregistered sale agreements to be admitted as evidence in suits for specific performance – No amendment to Section 49 despite insertion of Section 17(1)(f) – Supreme Court precedent in R. Hemalatha v. Kasthuri (AIR 2023 SC 1895) followed – Execution of agreement and payment of consideration undisputed – Trial court’s decree justified, no hardship to defendant – Appeals dismissed.
Cases Referred:
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R. Hemalatha v. Kasthuri (AIR 2023 SC 1895)
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Ignatious v. Dominic [2017 (3) KHC 836] (distinguished)
For Appellant : Advs. T.R.S. Kumar; Deena Joseph; K.V. Sabu & Sobin Soman
For Respondents : Advs. S.Sujith & T.M. Chandran
K/1279/2001 |
K/193/2016 |
K/108/1986 |
K/880/2013 |
.JPG)
K/134/1995 |
K/253/1973 |
