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Supreme Court: Mutation Entries Don't Confer Ownership in Land Disputes
6 Nov
Summary
- Mutation of property in land records does not mean ownership transfer
- Ownership can only be established through legal succession, will, or court order
- Decades-long dispute over ancestral land finally settled by Supreme Court
On October 15, 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a significant judgment stating that mutation of property in land revenue records does not mean ownership transfer. The court clarified that title can only be established through legal succession, a valid will, or a court order.
The case involved a long-running dispute over an ancestral property. After the death of Ronak Singh in 1924, a conflict arose between his widow Kartar Kaur and his sisters Chinki and Nikki over the succession of his properties. During this dispute, Kartar Kaur allegedly gifted the disputed land to a third party, Mr. Harchand, which was later annulled by the courts.
Following a series of legal battles, the mutation was eventually recorded in favor of Kartar Kaur in 1976. However, Ronak Singh's sisters challenged this, and the mutation proceedings continued until 2017. Ultimately, Ronak Singh's sisters' legal heirs claimed to be the rightful owners through natural succession, asserting that the will presented by Kartar Kaur's heirs was invalid and fraudulent.
The Supreme Court ruled that the suit filed by Ronak Singh's sisters' children was not time-barred and should be contested on merits. The court emphasized that mutation entries serve a fiscal purpose and do not confer ownership, which can only be established through proper legal channels.
