Mutation

Mutation is the entry made in government records (the record of rights, land revenue records or municipal property tax records) to show the new owner after a property changes hands. Depending on the State and the type of property, it may be called khata transfer, dakhil kharij or namantaran.

Why it matters

• Property tax bills and notices come in your name.
• You can deal with the revenue office, get land records and apply for conversions or permissions.
• Buyers and banks check that the seller's name appears in the records.

What mutation does not do

The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that a mutation entry is only for fiscal purposes, that is, to collect land revenue or tax. It does not create or extinguish title. In Jitendra Singh v State of Madhya Pradesh (2021), the Court again said that a person claiming title on the basis of a will or other document must establish it in a civil court, not through mutation.

How to apply

1. Get the registered sale deed, gift deed, or inheritance papers such as a death certificate and legal heir certificate.
2. Apply to the Tahsildar, revenue office or municipal body that keeps the record, often online.
3. Pay any fee and respond if a notice of objection is issued.

Use the land records mutation application or the khata transfer application, and read property mutation and khata transfer.