Dheenadhayalan v. The Sub-Registrar

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 24.03.2026

CORAM

THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE D.BHARATHA CHAKRAVARTHY and W.M.P.(MD) No.6331 of 2026 Dheenadhayalan ... Petitioner Vs.

The Sub-Registrar, Office of Joint Sub Registrar Office-I, Pudukkottai, Pudukkottai District.

... Respondent Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus to call for the records comprised in P/I-Joint Sub Registrar Pudukkottai/112/2026 dated 03.03.2026 on file of the respondent and quash the same as arbitrary and illegal and consequently direct the respondent to register and release the Settlement Deed in Doc.No.TP/256468002/2026 dated 03.03.2026 kept pending in P/I-Joint Sub Registrar Pudukkottai /112/2026 forthwith. For Petitioner : Mr.K.Prabhakar For Respondent : Mr.M.Gangatharan Government Advocate ***** Page No. 1 of 4

O R D E R

This Writ Petition is filed challenging the impugned order of the respondent dated 03.03.2026 and seeking a direction to the respondent to register and release the Settlement Deed dated 03.03.2026.

2. When the matter came up for hearing, it is represented by the learned Government Advocate appearing on behalf of the respondent that since the District Collector had issued a communication stating that the process of updating the Natham lands belonging to the Government, etc., under the Natham Nilavari Scheme is in progress, the document is kept as a pending document.

3. This issue has already been dealt with by this Court in W.P.(MD) No. 6020 of 2026, vide order dated 05.03.2026. It is necessary to extract paragraph 8 of the said order, which reads as follows: "8. If any land is sold in violation of the conditional assignment, the appropriate authorities have the right to resume the land. If any poramboke land is sold, even then it will not bind the Government and they can always take proceedings under the Tamil Nadu Land Encroachment Act, provided it can establish that the land in question is a Poramboke land. Therefore, the apprehension of the District Collector Page No. 2 of 4

that the proprietary rights of the respective landlords should remain suspended until the completion of administrative work is directly in violation of Article 300A of the Constitution of India. As such, this cannot be a valid reason to withhold registration."

4. In view thereof, this Writ Petition is disposed of on the same terms:

i.

The impugned order passed by the respondent dated 03.03.2026 shall stand quashed.

ii. The respondent is directed to register the document within a period of one week from the date of receipt of a web copy of this order, without waiting for the certified copy of the order. iii. No costs. Consequently, the connected Miscellaneous Petition is closed.

24.03.2026 JEN To The Sub-Registrar, Office of Joint Sub Registrar Office-I, Pudukkottai, Pudukkottai District.

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D.BHARATHA CHAKRAVARTHY , J.

JEN 24.03.2026 Page No. 4 of 4