Title: Monk Estates Private Limited & Anr. v. Government of NCT of Delhi & Ors.
Decided on: 27th July, 2023
+ W.P. (C) 254/2023
CORAM: HON’BLE MRS. JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH
Introduction:
The Delhi High Court recently addressed a matter concerning missing documents from the Sub-Registrar’s office in Delhi and directed the Delhi Government to ensure the implementation of the Delhi Online Registration System (DORIS) for document preservation. The Court expressed serious concerns about the missing records and emphasized the need for an effective system to preserve documents.
Facts
In January 2023, a petition was filed seeking an inquiry into missing records from the Sub-Registrar-III’s office in Delhi related to the execution and registration of lands owned by Monk Estates Pvt. Ltd. An FIR was registered in 2019 after a significant delay of 14 years. The Court raised serious concerns about the missing records and directed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
In February 2023, the concerned Sub-Registrar filed a status report stating that only a Lost Report had been registered in 2019, but no further investigation was conducted. The Court also sought detailed information about the DORIS system used for document registration and directed the Principal Secretary (Revenue) to ensure its effective implementation in all Sub-Registrar offices.
Analysis
The Court expressed doubts about the full implementation of the DORIS system despite its design. It noted that there was a need to ensure the availability of necessary systems and cloud service in all Sub-Registrar’s offices to prevent a situation like the present case, where important documents were missing, from recurring.
Held
The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Government to continue the investigation into the missing records and register an FIR if necessary. It further instructed the GNCTD to ensure that the necessary systems and cloud service are made available to all Sub-Registrar’s offices for proper document preservation. The Court held that the Principal Secretary (Revenue), GNCTD, shall be personally responsible for ensuring the effective implementation of the DORIS system. With these directions, the Court disposed of the petition.
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Written by- Ankit Kaushik
