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Supreme Court of India

GURBAX SINGHversusKARTAR SINGH AND ORS.

Citation
2002 INSC 74
Decided
11 February 2002
Disposal
Dismissed

Holding

A document registered later takes effect from its execution time, and when two documents are executed on the same day, the one executed earlier prevails.

Summary

Jamail Singh executed two sale deeds on the same day, one (Ex P-2) at 10:00 a.m. and the other (Ex D-1) with no time recorded. Lower courts found that Ex P-2 was executed earlier and therefore should have priority over Ex D-1. The Punjab and Haryana High Court affirmed this finding and dismissed the appeal against it. The petitioner, Gurbax Singh, filed a Special Leave Petition before the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's order. The Supreme Court held that under Section 47 of the Registration Act, 1908, a document takes effect from the time of its execution, not registration, and when two documents are executed on the same day, the earlier execution determines priority. Finding no error in the High Court's reasoning, the Court dismissed the Special Leave Petition.

Issues considered

  • Whether the High Court erred in holding that the earlier executed sale deed (Ex P-2) prevails over the later executed deed (Ex D-1) under Section 47 of the Registration Act, 1908.
  • Whether the order of the High Court warrants interference under Article 136 of the Constitution of India.

Legislation cited

Subjects

Registration ActSection 47priority of deedsexecution timesale deedSpecial Leave PetitionArticle 136property law

Judgment

A                             GURBAX SINGH
                                    v.
                          KARTAR SINGH AND ORS.                                     ..
                              FEBRUARY 11, 2002                                          ..-

B                 [SYED SHAH MOHAMMED QUADRI AND
                     BISHESHWAR PRASAD SINGH, JJ.]


         Registration Act, I 908

c         S.47-Sale deeds-Commencement of operation-Two sale deeds (Ext.
    P-2 and Ext. D-1) executed the same day-Time of execution ofP-2 shown as
    10.00 A.M-Time of execution of D-1 not shown-Concurrent findings of
    courts below that Ext. P-2 executed earlier than Ext. D-2 and former prevails
    over latter-Held, a document on subsequent registration will take effect from
D   the time when it was executed and not from the time of its registration-Where
    two documents are executed on the same day, time of their execution would
    determine the priority irrespective of the time of their registration-The one   ~


    which is executed earlier would prevail over the other executed subsequently-
    In view of concurrent findings of courts below, High Court rightly held that
    Ext. P-2 prevails over Ext.-D-1-There is no illegality in the order of High
E   Court warranting interference under Article I 36 of the Constitution-Deeds
    and Documents-Commencements of operation-Constitution of India-Article
    136.

         CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Special Leave Petition (C)
    No. 1969 of 2002.
F
         From the Judgment and Order dated 25.10.2001 of the Punjab and
    Haryana High Court in R.S.A. No. 4050 of 1999.

         Vipin Gogia and Ms. Jaspreet Gogia for the Petitioner.

G        The following Order of the Court was delivered :

         Heard the learned counsel for the petitioner. .

         Jamail Singh, respondent No. 2 executed two documents of sale (Exs. ·
    P-2 and D-1) on November 25, 199 I. Having regard to the findings of the
H   Courts below that Ex. P-2 was executed earlier than Ex.D.1-land having
                                      940
                             GURBAX SINGH v. KARTAR SINGH                          941
        noted Ex. P-2 in favour of the first respondent was executed at 10.00 a.m. A
        and it was not shown when Ex. D-1 was executed in favour of the petitioner,
        the High Court, vide its order dated October 25, 2001, in RSA No. 4050 of
        1999 confirmed the concurrent finding of the courts below holding that Ex.
        P-2 prevails over Ex. D-1 and thus dismissed the second appeal. It is against
        the said order that this Special Leave Petition is filed.
                                                                                           B
               In view of the provisions of Section 47 of the Registration Act, 1908
        it is well-settled that a document on subsequent registration will take effect
        from the time when it was executed and not from the time of its registration.
        Where two documents are executed on the same day, the time of their execution
    •   would determine the priority irrespective of the time of their registration. The   C
        one which is executed earlier in time will prevail over the other executed
        subsequently. In view of the concurrent findings, referred to above, the High
        Court has rightly held that Ex. P-2 prevails over Ex. D-1. We find no illegality
        in the order of the High Court warranting our interference under Article 136
        of the Constitution of India.
•                                                                                          D ..
               Accordingly, the Special Leave Petition is dismissed.

        R.P.                                                        Petition dismissed.




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