W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT DATED : 02.07.2026 CORAM THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE C.SARAVANAN W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 and W.M.P.(MD) No.13744 of 2026 Aneesha ... Petitioner Vs. 1.The Sub-Registrar, Eraniel Sub Registrar Office, Kanyakumari District. 2.Jose Christopher ... Respondents Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus to call for the impugned refusal check slip under Refusal No.RFL/ Eraniel /324/2026 passed by the first respondent dated 22.06.2026 and to quash the same as illegal and further to direct the first respondent to register the sale deed dated 19.06.2026 executed by the petitioner relating to the landed properties having extent of 13.050 Cents comprised in New S.No. 267/14A1, situated at now Kuruthankodu A Village, Kalkullam Taluk, Kanyakumari District. _____________ Page No. 1 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 For Petitioner : Mr.B.Micheal Sebastin For R1 : Mr.S.Venkatesh Counsel for Government of Tamilnadu O R D E R The petitioner, who is seller, is before this Court challenging the impugned Refusal Check Slip dated 22.06.2026, whereby the first respondent declined to register the Sale Deed dated 19.06.2026 presented by the transferee, namely, M.Jose Christopher, in respect of land measuring an extent of 13.050 cents comprised in New Survey No. 267/14A1, situated in Kuruthankodu 'A' Village, Kalkulam Taluk, Kanyakumari District. 2. The reasons stated in the impugned Refusal Check Slip dated 22.06.2026 are extracted hereunder: “jq;fshy; ,d;W gjpTf;F jhf;fy; nra;ag;gLk; MtzkhdJ jpUkjp.mdP~h vd;gtUf;F ghj;jpag;gl;l FUe;jd;NfhL V tpy;Ny[; Gjpa ru;Nt vz; 267/14-y; cl;gl;l 13.199 nrd;W kidahFk;. NkYk; tpy;yq;fr;rhd;W guprPyidapy; gpu];jhg nrhj;J jpU.gpuhd;]p]; vd;gtUf;F Mtz vz; 2496/1994 %yk; ghj;jpag;gl;l 62 nrd;W tptrha epykhFk;. ,jid mtu; KiwNa t.vz; Mtz vz; tp];jPuzk; Fwpg;Giu 1 181/2016 6.2 nrd;W jq;fs; kid njw;F - ghij _____________ Page No. 2 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 2 366/2016 4.4 nrd;W tlf;F> fpof;F - ghij 3 429/2016 10.285 nrd;W 4 537/2016 4.455 nrd;W 5 844/2016 5.555 nrd;W 6 845/2016 5.570 nrd;W 7 1702/2016 4.415 nrd;W 8 3147/2022 m)4.6 nrd;W gp) 3.5 nrd;W rp)13.199 nrd;W tupir vz; 8-y; rp ml;ltizapy; 13.1999 nrd;W nrhj;ij ngw;w jhq;fs; jw;nghOJ kPz;Lk; Mtzj;jpid gjpTf;F jhf;fy; nra;Js;sPu;fs;. 62 nrd;W tptrhaepyj;jpid vt;tpj tud;Kiwg;gLj;jhky; kidahf khw;wg;gl;Ls;sJ. ,J khz;GkpF cau; ePjpkd;w Miz vz; WP 19566/2015 -d; gbAk; kw;Wk; gjpT rl;lk; gpupT 22A(2) f;F Kuzhf cs;sJ. NkYk; ,J njhlu;ghd ePjpkd;w Mizfspy; xU Miz vz; WA.No.3192/2024> Sub Registrar Vs Raja manickam tof;fpy; “The subject property is a house site. Thus Section 22A(2) must be applied during verification of the document before registration. The provision clause stipulates that approval of house site from the competent authority is mandatory and present the document for registration' kw;Wk; kJiu caH ePjpkd;w Miz vz; W.P. MD No.29522 of 2025 and W.P. MD No. 22834 of 2025 vd;w tof;fpYk;> Section 22A(2) of the Act will come into play only if the subject matter of the instrument is a house site. If the land owner sells a piece of agricultural Land, it would not attract the prohibitory sweep of Section 22A(2) of the Act "When the property is admittedly a house site and it attracts Section 22A(2) the rigous cannot be mitigated or offset by filling an undertaking affidavit"> vd;W gy;NtW ePjpkd;w MizfspYk; mq;fPfupf;fg;glhj tud;Kiw gLj;Jjy; njhlu;ghf Mizaplg;gl;Ls;sJ. _____________ Page No. 3 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 Nkw;fz;l ePjpkd;w cj;juTfspd; mbg;gilapYk; gjpTr;rl;lk; 22A(2)-d; mbg;gilapYk; mq;fPfhukw;w kidaplkhf khw;wg;gl;l ,lj;jpw;F cupa tud;Kiw Miz ngw;W Mtzj;ij kPs rku;gpf;f Nfhug;gLfpwPu;fs;.” 3. It appears that the property in question is an unapproved layout. Therefore, the registration of the the Sale Deed dated 19.06.2026 would be clearly contrary to Section 22-A of the Registration Act, 1908, as inserted by Tamil Nadu Act No.28 of 2012, dated 21.06.2012, with effect from 20.10.2016. 4. Taking note of a piquant situation arising out of the strict implementation of Section 22-A of the Registration Act, 1908, this Court, in its order dated 28.04.2026 in W.P.(MD) No.3111 of 2026 in the case of P.Chellakily vs. The Sub-Registrar, O/o. The Sub-Registrar, Kottaram, Agastheeswaram, Kanyakumari District – 629 703, recognized the constitutional right to property enshrined under Article 300-A of the Constitution of India and directed the claimant, in whom title vests under the document, to execute an affidavit containing the requisite undertaking and to comply with the further conditions stipulated in the said order _____________ Page No. 4 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 dated 28.04.2026 in W.P.(MD) No.3111 of 2026, which are extracted hereunder: i. The impugned order shall stand set aside. ii. ii. The claimant under the document refused for registration, in whose name the property vests, shall execute a duly notarised affidavit in four sets and file one set before this Court within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the web copy of this Order. Only upon filing of the same, a certified copy of this Order shall be issued to the petitioner. iii. Along with the certified copy of the Order of this Court, the petitioner will be entitled to represent the document along with three sets of affidavits. iv. Upon representation, the document shall be registered if there is no other impediment. v. Along with the document, the affidavit filed shall also be scanned and uploaded. vi. The two other sets shall be dispatched to the local authority and the jurisdictional Assistant Engineer of TANGEDCO concerned, who shall at all times consider the aforesaid undertaking and act accordingly. _____________ Page No. 5 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 vii.If the petitioner fails to file an affidavit as directed within four weeks of receipt of the web copy of this Order, the writ petition shall stand dismissed. Consequently, connected miscellaneous petition is closed. viii.No costs. 5. The requisite undertaking, which has to be contained in the affidavit, is as follows: ''I/We, .................., S/o. / D/o. / W/o. / H/o. G/o. .................., residing at .................., hereby undertake that I/We will not use the property as a residential or commercial site or for any other purpose involving a change of user unless due permission is obtained from the planning authority. Without such approval, I/We will not develop the site by changing its use or put up any residential or commercial building. I/We am/are aware that I/We may be liable for punishment for contempt of Court in the event of violating this undertaking. I/We am/are also aware that I/We shall not be entitled to claim electricity, water, sewerage or any other connection or service from the local authority or any other authority unless the due conversion is effected in accordance with the permission granted by the planning authority.'' _____________ Page No. 6 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 6. If the transferee agrees with the above stipulation, I see no reason to take a different view in the matter. 7. Accordingly, the impugned Refusal Check Slip is quashed and this Writ Petition stands disposed of, subject to the above stipulation. It is further made clear that the transferee, namely, M.Jose Christopher shall not put up any construction without obtaining approval from the planning authority for conversion of the site for residential or commercial use, in accordance with law. In case any such construction is put up, the authorities under the relevant statute are entitled to proceed against the transferee, M.Jose Christopher, in accordance with law. There shall be no order as to costs. Consequently, the connected Miscellaneous Petition is closed. 02.07.2026 JEN NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No To The Sub-Registrar, Eraniel Sub Registrar Office, Kanyakumari District. _____________ Page No. 7 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 C.SARAVANAN, J. JEN W.P.(MD) No.18569 of 2026 02.07.2026 _____________ Page No. 8 of 8 https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis