In Brief
A couple purchased agricultural land via a 1957 registered sale deed, claiming title for decades. During land consolidation proceedings in the 1990s, authorities rejected their title, citing minor discrepancies in an attesting witness's testimony (recorded 38 years later) and arguing the deed violated ceiling limits under the Zamindari Abolition Act. The Supreme Court held: (1) registered deeds carry strong presumptions of validity, not displaced by trivial witness variations; (2) land transfers violating ceiling limits were merely voidable, not void, under 1957 law; (3) consolidation authorities lack power to discard documents that are merely voidable unless formally cancelled by civil courts. The Court set aside the lower orders and directed restoration of the buyers' names in revenue records.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.