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by Admin
23 January 2026 3:42 PM
"Unless Condition for Reconveyance Is Embodied in the Same Sale Deed, Transaction Cannot Be Treated as Mortgage" – In a landmark ruling the Supreme Court of India decisively clarified the legal distinction between an outright sale and a mortgage by conditional sale, holding that unless the condition for reconveyance is expressly included in the same document effecting the sale, the transaction cannot be treated as a mortgage.
The two-judge Bench comprising Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Manmohan rejected the Respondent’s plea that the registered Sale Deed dated 12.11.1971 was in reality a mortgage intended to secure a loan of ₹10,000, and not a true sale. Dismissing this contention, the Court observed:
“There is no clause in the impugned Sale Deed which effects or purports to effect the sale as a mortgage. The condition for reconveyance was not embodied in the sale deed, which is a statutory requirement under Section 58(c).” [Para 44]
“Condition Must Be Embodied In The Sale Deed Itself” – Court Applies Statutory Test
Relying on the proviso to Section 58(c) of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, the Court stressed that the legal test for treating a transaction as a mortgage by conditional sale is not the intention of parties gathered from extrinsic sources, but whether the condition of reconveyance is incorporated in the same instrument which effects the sale.
“No transaction shall be deemed to be a mortgage unless the condition is embodied in the document which effects or purports to effect the sale.” [Para 44 – quoting statute]
The Court traced the legislative intent behind the 1929 amendment to Section 58(c), observing that it was specifically inserted to prevent manipulative drafting and backdoor attempts to avoid liability by cloaking mortgages as sales.
“Since the decision of the Privy Council in Balkishen Das v. Legge, it has been a well-settled rule that it is not open to courts to allow any extraneous evidence in order to find out the intention of the parties.” [Para 45]
Clear Sale Terms in Deed Preclude Any Mortgage Interpretation
Examining the text of the impugned registered Sale Deed dated 12.11.1971, the Supreme Court noted that it contained explicit recitals of absolute sale, including full consideration, symbolic delivery of possession, and an express acknowledgment that the vendors had ceased to be owners:
“The vendors hereby jointly and severally, sell, transfer, alienate, and convey the said house… absolutely free from all encumbrances… to hold and enjoy the same as her absolute property.” [Para 43]
The Deed also recited that symbolic possession was delivered and a separate registered Rental Agreement was executed, converting the vendors into tenants. The Bench found no ambiguity or residual condition that could transform this into a mortgage by conditional sale.
Gangabai v. Chhabubai Misapplied by High Court – Supreme Court Explains the Error
The Karnataka High Court had set aside the First Appellate Court’s ruling and restored the Trial Court’s decree, relying heavily on the Supreme Court’s decision in Gangabai v. Chhabubai (1982) 1 SCC 4, where the Apex Court had allowed oral evidence to prove that a registered sale deed was never intended to be acted upon. The High Court found that the plaintiff was entitled to adduce oral evidence to show that the transaction was sham.
The Supreme Court, however, firmly held that the Gangabai principle was misapplied to the facts of the present case. The Bench distinguished the precedent, stating:
“The High Court misinterpreted the judgment of this Court in Gangabai and allowed the appeal believing it to be an identical case. In the present case, the document contained no ambiguity; and there was no pleading or proof of reconveyance or any other contemporaneous agreement of mortgage.” [Para 72]
Further, the Court clarified:
“What distinguishes the two transactions is the relationship of debtor and creditor and the transfer being a security for the debt. In a sale coupled with an agreement to reconvey, there is no relation of debtor and creditor. The form in which the deed is clothed is not decisive.” [Para 46 – quoting Shri Bhaskar Waman Joshi]
Reconveyance Clause Mandatory In Same Deed – Surrounding Circumstances Not Sufficient
Addressing arguments based on subsequent conduct, alleged repayment of loan, or the vendor continuing in possession, the Court held that these cannot override the express requirements of Section 58(c):
“Even if it is alleged that a loan was repaid, or the vendor remained in possession, such circumstances cannot override the statutory mandate that the condition of reconveyance must be in the same document.” [Paras 52–54]
In this case, no such clause existed in the sale deed. The alleged payment of ₹8,426 in 1974 by the vendor to a third party (Defendant No.7) was not supported by any clear evidence or explanation of its connection to the original transaction.
“The plaintiff has failed to prove that the payment of ₹8,426 made on 2nd January 1974 was towards discharge of alleged loan. The document is clear, and so is the conduct of parties contemporaneous to the transaction.” [Para 66]
Consequences of Attempting to Deconstruct Registered Sales into Mortgages
Warning against retrospective attempts to recharacterize registered sales as mortgages, the Supreme Court noted that such challenges cause serious uncertainty in property transactions:
“If the sanctity of registered documents is diluted, it would erode public confidence in property transactions and jeopardize the security of titles. In a society governed by the Rule of Law, registered documents must inspire certainty.” [Para 33]
No Mortgage, No Reconveyance Clause – It Was a Sale
Holding that the transaction was a genuine, valid, and acted-upon sale, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal, restored the First Appellate Court’s decision, and dismissed the suit of the original owner with costs.
The judgment stands as a clear affirmation that conditional sale and mortgage are two legally distinct concepts, and that statutory compliance with Section 58(c) is non-negotiable when attempting to label a transaction as a mortgage by conditional sale.
Date of Decision: 22 January 2026
Case Title: Hemalatha (Dead) by LRs v. Tukaram (Dead) by LRs & Ors., Civil Appeal No. 6640 of 2010
