A recent judgment by the Bombay High Court has disregarded the Certificate of Purchase as proof of title in the case of a piece of property belonging to a joint family. The court was hearing an appeal that had been filed in 1990, and passed an order 27 years later, on June 15, 2018.

The dispute
The government had acquired land measuring one acre, 26 gunthas and eight annas (survey no 26/9) in the village of Koparkhairane, Thane (Navi Mumbai), and the land acquisition officer had awarded compensation of Rs 57,523.70 in respect of the said land. On receiving the acquisition notice, the original claimant, the late Vithu Agaskar, had declared he was the exclusive tenant/purchaser of the land and hence was entitled to the entire compensation.