HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS.versusMAM CHAND (DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS.

                        [2010] 12 S.C.R. 974


A                 HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS.
                                  v.
            MAM CHAND (DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS.
              (Civil Appeal Nos. 995-996 of 2003)

                         OCTOBER 8, 2010
B
        [P. SATHASIVAM AND DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, JJ.)

          Specific Relief Act, 1963 - s.19(b) - Protection under -
    Scope - Landed property - Respondent no.1-owner entered
C   into agreement for sale with appellant - But subsequently
    executed sale deed in respect of same property in favour of
    respondent nos. 2 to 6 - Appellant filed suit for specific
    performance against respondent no. 1 - Sale deed executed
    in favour of respondent nos.2 to 6 registered subsequent to
D   institution of the suit - Trial Court dismissed the suit holding
    that the sale deed executed in favour of respondent nos. 2 to
    6 was not subject to the doctrine of /is pendens, and, that
    respondent nos. 2 to 6 were bonafide purchasers for
    consideration without notice - Order upheld by first appellate
E   court and High Court - Justification of - Held: Not justified -
    The sale executed by respondent No. 1 in favour of
    respondent Nos. 2 to 6 could not be termed as a complete
    sale until the document got registered - In view of s.47 of the
    Registration Act, the registration related back to the date of
F   execution but it does not mean that sale would be complete
    in favour of respondent Nos. 2 to 6 prior to the date of
    registration of the sale deed - As the sale stood completed
    during the pendency of the suit, doctrine of /is pendens is
    applicable - Moreover, appellant had been in possession of
G   the suit land since long and this fact had also been mentioned
    by respondent No. 1 in the sale deed in favour of respondent
    Nos. 2 to 6, therefore, the question of respondent Nos. 2 to 6
    being bonafide purchasers for value and having paid money
    in good faith without notice does not arise - Respondents

H                                 974
   HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND                  975
          (DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS.

No.2 to 6, therefore, cannot take the benefit of the provisions    A
of s.19(b) of the Specific Relief Act- Transfer of Property Act,
1882 - s.54 - Registration Act, 1908 - s.47 - Doctrines -
Doctrine of tis pendens.

    Maxim - 'pendente lite, nihil innovetur' - Applicability of    B
     Respondent no.1-owner entered into an agreement
for sale with the appellant in respect of certain landed
property. However, subsequently, on 2.8.1971,
respondent No.1 executed a sale deed in respect of the ·
same property in favour of respondent nos.2 to 6.        C

      Aggrieved, the appellant filed a suit for specific
performance against respondent no.1. The sale deed
executed in favour of respondents 2 to 6 was registered
subsequent to the institution of the suit (on 3-9-1971 ). The D
trial court dismissed the suit holding that the sale deed
would be deemed to have come into force on 2-8-1971,
as the registration thereof dated 3-9-1971 would relate
back to the date of execution (by virtue of the application
of the provisions of Section 47 of the Registration Act, E
1908) which was prior to institution of the suit for specific
performance and thus, the doctrine of /is pendens would
not apply; and that respondents 2 to 6 were bona fide
purchasers for consideration without notice and,
therefore, the sale deed in their favour was to be
protected. The order was upheld by the first appellate F
court as well as the High Court.

     The questions for consideration in the instant appeal
were: 1) whether the sale deed executed by respondent
No.1 in favour of respondent nos.2 to 6 could be subject G
to the doctrine of /is pendens and 2) whether respondent
nos.2 to 6 could held to be vendees without notice of an
agreement to sell in favour of the appellant by
respondent no.1.
                                                                   H
    976      SUPREME COURT REPORTS           [2010] 12 S.C.R.


A         Allowing the appeals, the Court

       HELD:1.1. Section 54 of the Transfer of Property Act,
  1882, mandatorily requires that the sale of any immovable
  property of the value of hundred rupees and upward can
  be made only by a registered instrument. Section 47 of
8
  the Registration Act, 1908, provides that registration of
  the document shall relate back to the date of the
  execution of the document. The aforesaid two provisions
  make it crystal clear that sale deed in question requires
  registration, and even if registration had been done
C subsequent to the filing of Suit, it related back to the date
  of execution of the sale deed, which was prior to
  institution of the Suit. However, in the instant case, in
  spite of the fact that the registration of the sale deed
  would relate back to the date of execution, the sale
D cannot be termed as complete until its registration and it
  becomes effective only once it stands registered. Thus,
  the fiction created by Section 47 of the Registration Act,
  1908, does not come into play before the actual
  registration of the document takes place. [Paras 9, 11]
E [983-C-D; 984-F-G]

       1.2. The doctrine of /is pendens would apply in the
  instant case, as the registration of the sale deed was
  subsequent to filing of the suit and subsequent
F purchasers i.e., respondent Nos. 2 to 6, cannot claim
  benefit of the provisions of Section 19(b) of the Specific
  Relief Act, 1963. The sale deed in favour of respondent
  Nos.2 to 6 clearly disclosed that the suit land had been
  mortgaged to the appellant and it was in his possession
  since 1970. The subsequent purchaser has to be aware
G before he purchases the suit property. Thus, respondent
  Nos. 2 to 6 could not be held to be bona fide purchasers
  for value paid in good faith without notice of the original
  contract and the sale in their favour was subject to the
  doctrine of /is pendens. Legal maxim, pendente lite, nihil
H
   HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND               977
          (DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS.

innovetur; provides that as to the rights of the parties to A
the litigation, "the conveyance is treated as if it never had
any existence; and it does not vary them." [Paras 13, 14,
15] [985-H; 986-B; 987-B-C]

     1.3. The sale executed by respondent No.1 in favour        B
of respondent Nos. 2 to 6 on 2.8.1971 could not be termed
as a complete sale until the document was got registered
on 3.9.1971. In view of the provisions of Section 47 of the
Registration Act, 1908, the effect of registration would be
that registration would relate back to the date of              C
execution but it does not mean that sale would be
complete in favour of respondent Nos. 2 to 6 prior to
3.9.1971 i.e. the date of registration of the sale deed. As
sale stood completed during the pendency of the suit,
doctrine of /is pendens is applicable in the facts and
circumstances of the case. The courts below failed to           D
appreciate that the fiction created by Section 47 of the
Registration Act 1908, itself is a consequence of
registration of the sale deed. More so, as the appellant
had been in possession of the suit land being a
mortgagee since 1970 and this fact had also been                E
mentioned by the respondent No.1 in the sale deed dated
2.8.1971 in favour of respondent Nos. 2 to 6, the question
of respondent Nos. 2 to 6 being bonafide purchasers for
value and paid money in good faith without having notice
of the interest of the appellant does not arise, simply for     F
the reason that the said respondents were fully aware that
the suit land was in possession of the appellant. Thus,
the respondents No.2 to 6 cannot take the benefit of the
provisions of Section 19(b) of the Act, 1963. [Para 17] [987-
G-H; 988-A-D]                                                   G

    Guruswamy Nadar v. P. Lakshmi Ammal (Dead) Through
LRs. & Ors. (2008) 5 SCC 796 and R.K. Mohammed
Ubaidullah & Ors. v. Hajee C. Abdul Wahab (Dead) by LRs.
& Ors. AIR 2001 SC 1658 - relied on.
                                                                H
    978      SUPREME COURT REPORTS             [2010] 12 S.C.R.


A       Ram Saran Lall & Ors. v. Mst. Domini Kuer & Ors. AIR
    1961 SC 1747; Hirata/ Agrawal Etc. v. Rampadarath Singh
    & Ors. Etc. AIR 1969 SC 244; S.K. Mohammad Rafiq (Dead)
    by LRs.  v. Khalilul Rehmad & Anr. Etc. AIR 1972 SC 2162;
    Thakur Kishan Singh (Dead) v. Arvind Kumar AIR 1995 SC
B   73; Chandrika Singh (Dead) by LRs. v. Arvind Kumar Singh
    (Dead) by LRs. & Ors. AIR 2006 SCC 2199;- referred to.

      2. The respondents are directed to execute the sale
  deed in favour of the appellant to the extent of land, for
  which the agreement to sell was executed. However, in
C order to meet the ends of justice, it is held that
  respondent Nos. 2 to 6 shall be entitled to receive the
  amount paid by them to respondent No.1 as
  consideration along with 10% interest per annum on the
  same. Respondent No.1 shall be entitled to redeem the
D land over and above the extent of land in respect of which
  the agreement to sell had been executed, if any, in
  accordance with law. [Para 18] [988-E-F]
                         Case Law Reference:
E         AIR 1961 SC 1747         ~eferred to         Para 9
          AIR 1969 SC 244          referred to         Para 10
          AIR 1972 SC 2162         referred to         Para 10

F         AIR 1995 SC 73           referred to         Para 10
          AIR 2006 sec 2199        referred to         Para 10
          (2008) 5 sec 796         relied on           Para 12
          AIR 2001 SC 1658         relied on           Para 14
G
        CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 995-
    996 of 2003.

          From the Judgment & Order dated 9.10.2001 of the High
H
   HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND                    979
          (DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS.

Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in RSA No. 1545            A
of 1979.

     Dhruv Mehta, Shobha, Mohinder P. Thakur and Ridima for
the Appellants.

    R.K. Kapoor, Harish Pant and Anis Ahmed Khan for the             B
Respondents.

     The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

     DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J. 1. These appeals have been                 C
preferred against the judgments and orders dated 9.10.2001
and 9.9.2002 passed by the High Court of Punjab & Haryana
High Court at Chandigarh in R.S.A. No.1545 of 1979
dismissing the Regular Second Appeal, as well as the Review
Application, filed by the appellant concurring with the judgments    D
and orders of the trial Court as well as of the First Appellate
Court on all issues raised in the case.

      2. Facts and circumstances giving rise to these appeals
are that the defendant/respondent No.1-Mam Chand (since
deceased through LRs.) (hereinafter called the 'respondent')         E
was the owner of land admeasuring 22 kanals situate within the
Revenue estate of Village Asraka Majra, District Riwari,
Haryana. The said respondent had mortgaged the entire land
in favour of the predecessor-in-interest of the appellant, namely,
Har Narain (since deceased and now represented through his           F
LRs.) for Rs.7,000/-. The appellant was also put in possession
of the said land. The respondent No.1 entered into an
Agreement for Sale of 8 kanals of the said property with the
appellant for Rs.7500/- and he received Rs.200/- as earnest
money in cash while a sum of Rs.7000/- to be adjusted as             G
mortgage amount. However, the said respondent No.1
executed the sale deed on 2.8.1971 in favour of respondent
nos.2 to 6.

     3. Being aggrieved, the appellant filed Suit No.172 of 1971,
                                                                     H,
    980     SUPREME COURT REPORTS               [2010] 12 S.C.R.


A for specific performance against the respondent no.1 for
  executing the sale deed of the land in question on 10.8.1971
  and the trial Court restrained him from alienating the suit
  property by any means. Respondent no.1 moved an application
  dated 16.8.1971 for vacating/modifying the interim order dated
B 10.8.1971 wherein he disclosed that the entire land in dispute
  had already been alienated in favour of respondent nos.2 to 6.
  However, the sale deed executed in favour of the said
  respondents was registered on 3.9.1971. The suit was
  contested by the respondents on various grounds, however, the
C trial Court dismissed the suit vide judgment and decree dated
  4.9.1973 on various grounds, inter alia, that sale deed deemed
  to have come into force on 2.8.1971, as the registration thereof
  dated 3.9.1971 would relate back to the date of execution
  which had been prior to institution of the suit and thus, the
  doctrine of lis pendens would not apply. The said respondents
0
  2 to 6 were bona fide purchasers for consideration without
  notice. Therefore, the sale deed in their favour was to be
  protected.

        4. Being aggrieved, the appellant filed First Appeal No.508
E of 1973, however, the same was dismissed by the First
  Appellate Court vide judgment and decree dated 22.3.1979.
  The appellant further approached the High Court by filing the
  Regular Second Appeal No.1545 of 1979 which was
  dismissed by the High Court vide judgment and order dated
F 9.10.2001. However, as none had appeared on behalf of the
  appellant on the said date before the High Court, the appellant
  filed the application to recall the said judgment and order dated
  9.10.2001 under Order 41 Rule 19 read with Section 151 of
  the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (hereinafter called 'CPC').
G The said application was allowed vide order dated 9.9.2002
  and the matter was heard afresh on merit on the same day. The
  Court agreed with the proposition laid down by the courts below
  that principles of lis pendens would not apply in the facts and
  circumstances of this case as the sale deed has been executed
H
  HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND       981
(DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS. [DR. S.S. CHAUHAN, J.]

before the filing of the suit though, the same was got registered   A
subsequent to the institution of the suit. Hence, these appeals.

      5. Shri Dhruv Mehta, learned Senior counsel appearing for
the appellant has sµbmitted that the courts below reached the
conclusion that doctrine of lis pendens was not applicable in       8
the facts of the case merely on the ground that the sale deed
has been executed by the respondent No.1 in favour of
respondent nos.2 to 6 prior to institution of the suit and the
registration of the sale deed would relate back to the date of
execution by virtue of the application of the provisions of         C
Section 47 of the Registration Act, 1908 (herein after called the
'Act 1908') without taking note of the fact that the execution of
a sale deed of immovable property of more than Rs.100/- in
value is not capable to transfer the title unless the deed is
registered as required under Section 52 of the Transfer of
Property Act, 1882 (hereinafter called the 'Act, 1882) and          D
Section 17 of the 'Act 1908. In case, the appellant had been in
the possession of the suit land being the mortgagee of the
entire property since long, the question of protection under
Section 19(b) of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 (hereinafter
called the 'Act 1963') to the respondent nos.2 to 6 that they       E
were bonafide purchasers for value and paid money in good
faith without notice of the earlier contract, becomes meaningless
for the reason that they had a .. :>tice that the land was in
possession of the appellant and this fact had also been
mentioned by the respondent No.1 in the sale deed dated             F
2.8.1971 in their favour. Thus, the appeals deserve to be
allowed.

     6. On the contrary, Shri R.K. Kapoor, learned counsel
appearing for the respondents has vehemently opposed the            G
appeals contending that there are cor.current findings of fact
by three courts and this Court being the fourth court should not
re-appreciate the factual matrix of the case and interfere in the
appeals. The sale deed might have been registered at a later
stage but the document becomes effective from the date of its       HI
    982      SUPREME COURT REPORTS                [2010) 12 S.C.R.


A   execution. The findings so recorded by the courts below do not
    require any interference. The appeals lack merit and are liable
    to be dismissed.

         7. We have considered the rival submissions made by
    learned counsel for the parties and perused the records.
8
       Admitted facts remain that the entire land admeasuring 22
  kanals had been mortgaged by Mam Chand, respondent No.1
  in favour of appellant vide deed dated 30.6.1970 and the
  appellant had been put in possession thereof. The possession
C of the land is with the appellant since 1970. An agreement to
  sell was entered into between the appellant and respondent
  No.1 on 25.5.1971. Sale deed was executed by the respondent
  No.1 in favour of respondent nos.2 to 6 on 2.8.1971 and the
  said sale deed was got registered on 3.9.1971. The suit had
D been filed on 10.8.1971 i.e. subsequent to the date of execution
  of the sale deed and before the registration thereof on
  3.9.1971. The trial court also passed an ex-parte order dated
  10.8.1971 restraining the respondent No.1 from alienating the
  suit land, however it was subsequently modified vide order
E dated 31.8.1971.

         The basic questions arise as to whether in the fact-situation
    of this case, the sale deed executed by the respondent No.1
    in favour of respondent nos.2 to 6 could be subject to the
F   doctrine of lis pendens and in case the appellant had been in
    possession of the suit land being mortgagee since 1970, the
    respondent nos.2 to 6 can be held to be vendees without notice
    of an agreement to sell in favour of the appellant by the
    respondent no.1.

G      8. All the courts below have proceeded on the presumption
  that as the registration of a document relates back to the date
  of execution and in the instant case though the registration was
  subsequent to institution of the suit, it would relate back to the
  execution of the deed and the doctrine of lis pendens would
H not apply. Further, without considering the fact that the appellant
  HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND       983
(DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS. [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]

had been in possession of the suit land since 1970, though,        A
this fact had been mentioned in the sale deed in favour of
respondent nos.2 to 6 by the respondent No.1 whether it could
be held that they were not put to notice of the fact that the
appellant had some interest in the property and whether in such
fact-situation the respondent nos.2 to 6 may be entitled for       B
benefit of the provisions of Section 19 of the Act, 1963.

     9. Section 54 of the Act, 1882, mandatorily requires that
the sale of any immovable property of the value of hundred
rupees and upward can be made only by a registered
instrument. Section 4 7 of the Act, 1908, provides that C
registration of the document shall relate back to the date of the
execution of the document. Thus, the aforesaid two provisions
make it crystal clear that sale deed in question requires
registration. Even if registration had been done subsequent to
the filing of Suit, it related back to the date of execution of the D
sale deed, which was prior to institution of the Suit. A similar
issue though in a case of right of pre-emption was considered
by the Constitution Bench of this Court in Ram Saran Lall &
Ors. v. Mst. Domini Kuer & Ors., AIR 1961 SC 1747, by the
majority of 3:2, the Court came to the conclusion that as the E
mere execution of the sale deed could not make the same
effective and registration thereof was necessary, it was of no
consequence unless the regist ttion was made. Thus, in spite
of the fact that the Act, 1908, could relate back to the date of
execution in view of provisions of Section 47 of the Act, 1908, F
the sale could not be given effect to prior to registration.
However, as the sale was not complete until the registration of
instrument of sale is complete, it was not completed prior to
the date of its registration. The court held:
                                                                    G
     "Section 4 7 of the Registration Act does not, however, say
     when sale would be deemed to be complete. It only permits
     a document when registered, to operate from a certain
     date which may be earlier than the date when it was
     registered. The object of this section is to decide which
                                                                    H
    984       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2010] 12 S.C.R.


A         of two or more registered instruments in respect of the
          same property is to have effect. The section applies to a
          document only after it has been registered. It has nothing
          to do with the completion of the registration and therefore,
          nothing to do with the completion of a sale when the
B         instrument is one of sale. A sale which is admittedly not
          completed until the registration of the instrument of sale is
          completed, cannot be said to have been completed earlier
          because by virtue of Section 47 the instrument by which it
          is effected, after it has been registered, commences to
c         operate from an earlier date. Therefore, we do not think
          that the sale in this case can be said, in view of Section
          47 to have been completed on January 31, 1946."
          (Emphasis added).

          10. This view has subsequently been followed and
D approved by this Court as is evident from the judgments in
  Hirata/ Agrawal Etc. v. Rampadarath Singh & Ors. Etc., AIR
  1969 SC 244; S.K. Mohammad Rafiq (Dead) by LRs. V.
  Khalilul Rehmad & Anr. Etc., AIR 1972 SC 2162; Thakur
  Kishan Singh (Dead) v. Arvind Kumar, AIR 1995 SC 73; and
E Chandrika Singh (Dead) by LRs. V. Arvind Kumar Singh
  (Dead) by LRs. & Ors., AIR 2006 SCC 2199.

       11. However, all these cases are related to right to pre-
  emption though the legal issue involved therein remained the
F same. In view of the above, we are of the considered opinion
  that in spite of the fact that the registration of the sale deed
  would relate back to the date of execution, the sale can not be
  termed as complete until its registration and it becomes
  effective only once it stands registered. Thus, the fiction created
G by Section 47 of the Act, 1908, does not come into play before
  the actual registration of the document takes place.

      12. In Guruswamy Nadar v. P. Lakshmi Ammal (Dead)
  Through LRs. & Ors., (2008) 5 SCC 796, this Court dealt with
  a similar issue and considered the effect of doctrine of lis
H pendens and the provisions of Section 19(b) of the Act, 1963.
    HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND       985
 (DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS. [DR. S.S. CHAUHAN, J.] _

 Facts of the said case had been that an agreement to sell          A
 stood executed between the first purchaser and owner of the
 land on 4th July, 1974 for a sum of Rs.30,000/- and a sum of
 Rs.5,000/- was given as advance. The remaining amount was
 to be paid before 31st July, 1974. As the said amount was not
 paid, the owner again sold the suit property to another party      B
·(appellant) on 5th May, 1975 for a sum of Rs.45,000/- and
 possession of the suit property was handed over to the
 appellant therein. Thus, the first purchaser filed the suit for
 enforcement of the specific performance of the contract. The
 trial court dismissed the Suit holding that the agreement was      c
 genuine and appellant was a bona fide purchaser for value
 paid in good faith, without notice of the earlier agreement,
 therefore, no decree for specific performance could be passed
 in favour of the plaintiff therein. The First Appellate Court
  reversed the said judgment and decree. The Second Appeal          D
 was dismissed by the High Court. This Court considered the
 provisions of Section 52 of the Act, 1882, and Section 19 (b)
 of the Act, 1963, and held that as the subsequent sale was
 subsequent to the filing of the Suit, Section 19(b) of the Act
 1963 read with Section 52 of the Act, 1882, could not grant any    E
 benefit to the subsequent purchaser and the subsequent sale
 was subject to the doctrine of lis pendens. Second sale could
 not have the overriding effect on the first sale. The Court held
 as under:

     "So far as the present case is concerned, it is apparent       F
that the appellant who is a subsequent purchaser of the same
property, has purchased in good faith but the principle of lis
pendens will certainly be applicable to the present case
notwithstanding the fact that under Section 19(b) of the Specific
Relief Act his right could be protected."                           G

    13. In view of the above, it is evident that doctrine of lis
pendens would apply in the present case as the registration of
the sale deed was subsequent to filing of the Suit and
subsequent purchasers i.e. respondent Nos. 2 to 6 cannot            H
    986       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [201 OJ 12 S.C.R.


A   claim benefit of the provisions of Section 19(b) of the Act, 1963.

        14. So far as the issue of notice of first sale to respondent
  Nos. 2 to 6 is concerned, it has to be examined bearing in mind
  that the sale deed in favour of the respondent Nos. 2 to 6 clearly
  disclosed that the Suit land had been mortgaged to the
8
  appellant and it was in his possession since 1970. In R.K.
  Mohammed Ubaidu/lah & Ors. v. Hajee C. Abdul Wahab
  (Dead) by LRs. & Ors., AIR 2001 SC 1658, this Court
  considered a similar case whereiri the question had arisen as
  to whether the vendees of subsequent sale were bona fide
C purchasers of the suit property in good faith for value without
  notice of original contract and whether they were not required
  to make any inquiry as to the equitable or further interest of the
  other party at the time of execution of sale in their favour. In view
  of the fact that they had been aware that the land was in
D possession of first purchaser, the Court took note of the
  definition of "notice" as provided in Section 3 of the Act, 1882, '
  and particularly Explanation II thereof for deciding the case. The
  said Explanation reads:

E         "Any person acquiring any immovable property or any
          share or interest in any such property shall be deemed
          to have notice of title, if any, of any person who is for the
          time being in actual possession thereof"

       This Court came to the conclusion that in view of Section
F 19(b) of the Act, 1963 and definition of "notice" contained under
  Section 3 of the Act, 1882, it could not be held that the
  subsequent purchasers were bona fide purchasers in good
  faith for value without notice of the original contract and they
  were required to make inquiry as to the nature of the
G possession or title or further interest, if any, of the other party
  over the suit property at the time when they entered into sale
  transaction, notwithstanding, that they were already aware that
  the other party was in poss9ssion of the suit property as the
  tenant. Thus, what is material is the inquiry at the time when
H subsequent sale transaction was entered into.
  HAR NARAIN (DEAD) BY LRS. v. MAM CHAND       987
(DEAD) BY LRS. AND ORS. [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]

      15. The instant case is squarely covered by the aforesaid A
judgment, so far as this issue is concerned. The subsequent
purchaser has to be aware before he purchases the suit
property. Thus, we are of the considered opinion that
respondent Nos. 2 to 6 could not be held to be bona fide
purchasers for value paid in good faith without notice of the · B
original contract and the sale in their favour was subject to the
doctrine of lis pendens. Legal maxim, pendente lite, nihil
innovetur, provides that as to the rights of the parties to the
litigation, "the conveyance is treated as if it never had any
 existence; and it does not vary them."                           c
     16. It has half-heartedly been argued by Shri Kapoor,
learned counsel for the respondents that respondent Nos. 2 to
6 are the first purchasers as there was an agreement to sell
executed in their favour on 19.2.1971 and he had taken us
through the judgments of the trial court as well as the First      D
Appellate Court where passing remarks have been made by
the courts in respect of the same on the basis of the written
statement filed by the respondent No.1, though this point has
not been agitated by the respondent Nos. 2 to 6, nor any issue
had been framed in this respect either by the trial court or as    E
an additional issue by the First Appellate Court. In view of the
fact that the respondent No.1 has been executing documents
in respect of the same land in favour of different persons as is
evident from the record, the contention raised by Shri Kapoor
is not worth consideration.                                        F

     17. In view of the above, we reach the inescapable
conclusion that the sale executed by respondent No.1 in favour
of respondent Nos. 2 to 6 on 2.8.1971 could not be termed as
a complete sale until the document got registered on 3.9.1971.     G
In view of the provisions of Section 47 of the Act, 1908 the
effect of registration would be that registration would relate
back to the date of execution but it does not mean that sale
would be complete in favour of respondent Nos. 2 to 6 prior to
3.9.1971 i.e. the date of registration of the sale deed. In view
                                                                   H
    988      SUPREME COURT REPORTS               [2010] 12 S.C.R.


A   of the above, as sale stood completed during the pendency of
    the suit, doctrine of lis pendens is applicable in the facts and
    circumstances of the case. The courts below failed to
    appreciate that the fiction created by Section 47 of the Act
    1908, itself is a consequence of registration of the sale deed.
s   More so, as the appellant had been in possession of the suit
    land being a mortgagee since 1970 and this fact had also been
    mentioned by the respondent No.1 in the sale deed dated
    2.8.1971 in favour of respondent Nos. 2 to 6, the question of
    respondent Nos. 2 to 6 being t:;onafide purchasers for value
c   and paid money in good faith without notice does not arise,
    simply for the reason that the said respondents were fully aware
    that the suit land was in possession of the appellant. Thus, the
    respondents No.2 to 6 cannot take the benefit of the provisions
    of Section 19(b) of the Act, 1963.
D      18. In view of the above, the appeal succeeds and is
  allowed. The judgment and decree of the courts below are set
  aside. The respondents are directed to execute the sale deed
  in favour of the appellant to the extent of land, for which the
  agreement to sell was executed within a period of three months
E from today. However, in order to meet the ends of justice it is
  necessary to hold that respondent Nos. 2 to 6 shall be entitled
  to receive the amount paid by them to the respondent No.1 as
  consideration along with 10% interest per annum on the same.
  The respondent No.1 shall be entitled to redeem the land over
F and above the extent of land in respect of which the agreement
  to sell had been executed, if any, in accordance with law. There
  shall be no order as to costs.

    B.B.B.                                       Appeals allowed.