Chennai has seen complaints alleging that some sub-registrars are demanding bribes to complete deed registrations without properly verifying original property documents.
Before registering a deed, it is mandatory to check the original parent document (mother deed) to confirm the chain of ownership. In many offices, registrations are reportedly processed by looking only at the latest name in records and proceeding accordingly.
During transfers, scrutiny of the original mother deed is required. However, people often say they do not have a copy of the original document. In such cases, they are expected to file a police complaint about the missing document and obtain a certificate, a process that is said to involve significant effort.
The complaint alleges that, instead of following the procedure, some sub-registrars register deeds by collecting bribes—reported to be around Rs 50,000—using the police complaint as supporting proof. A registration department official said guidelines exist for handling cases where the original mother deed is unavailable, and that action will be taken if the public submits complaints.
