Updated 23 October 2026. We re-read both NammaWard reports of the Gazette, the TeamLease RegTech summaries of the 2023 amendment Act and the 2025 refusal-and-cancellation rules, and news of the Kengeri registration case of 15 October. This guide turns the notifications into a pre-registration checklist for a Bengaluru buyer.

What exactly was notified?

  • Notification-1: Revenue Department notification dated 28 September 2026, published in the Karnataka Gazette of 9 October 2026 (pages 3501–3504). It cites Section 22-B(2) and rule 4(2) of the 2025 refusal-and-cancellation rules, and sets out the grounds for refusal (NammaWard, 13 October 2026).
  • Notification-2: a notification of the same date, Gazette pages 3504–3507, issued under Section 22-B(4) and rule 6(1). It notifies an index of 24 earlier circulars; their full operative text is not reproduced in the Gazette (NammaWard, 13 October 2026).
  • The legal base: the Registration (Karnataka Amendment) Act, 2023 inserted Section 22-B, which makes the registering officer refuse forged documents, documents for transactions barred by a Central or State law, and transfers of property under attachment. It came into force on 19 October 2024 (TeamLease RegTech).
  • The procedure: the Karnataka Registration (Refusal and Cancellation of Registered Documents) Rules, 2025 were issued on 22 December 2025 (TeamLease RegTech).

On what grounds can a sub-registrar refuse your sale deed?

Notification-1 groups the grounds in two parts (NammaWard, 13 October 2026). The first part restates defects under the Registration Act itself. The second part adds five other statutory bars.

  • Document defects: unattested alterations, blanks or erasures; property not described well enough; a required map or plan missing; presentation outside the time limit (Registration Act grounds as summarised by NammaWard).
  • People problems: presentation by an unauthorised person; the executant not appearing in time; no proof that the principal of a power of attorney is alive; the officer not satisfied about identity.
  • Unpaid fees, fines or charges.
  • Form 11-E: the survey sketch required under the Land Revenue rules is not produced.
  • PTCL Act, section 6: land covered by the transfer prohibition for granted land.
  • Karnataka Land (Restriction on Transfer) Act, 1991, section 8: land within the prohibition that follows acquisition.
  • Land Revenue Act, sections 192-A to 192-C: government land or land under the stated transfer bar.
  • Land Reforms Act, section 81-A: the required land-ceiling declaration not furnished.

Why the Kengeri case makes this concrete

On 15 October 2026, a Kengeri sub-registrar was reported suspended for registering an ₹18.5 crore sale deed for land in Agara village that the BDA had notified on 3 September for the Peripheral Ring Road Part-2 project. The activist who raised it cited section 8 of the 1991 Restriction on Transfer Act, which bars registration of such land without written permission (Urban Acres, 15 October 2026, crediting The Indian Express).

That is the same bar now listed in Notification-1. For a buyer, the message is that the registration office is expected to stop such deeds, but you should not rely on it to catch every case. Do your own check first. Our PRR-2 explainer covers that case in detail: PRR-2 Bengaluru: Kengeri Land Sale, HC Stay and What to Check.

The 24 circulars, in plain groups

NammaWard published the full index, translated from Kannada (13 October 2026). Grouped by what they cover:

  • Court cases and deposits: registration where cases are pending in court; documents kept in deposit at sub-registrar offices.
  • Power of attorney: the original GPA must be produced when a document is executed under it.
  • Survey and mutation: integrated mutation of land; licensed private surveyors; Form 11-E sketches for agricultural land; pre-mutation sketches.
  • Transfers that must follow other laws: a 2009 circular and its 2013 and 2014 amendments on registering transfers in line with State and Central laws; enemy property; Muzrai bodies.
  • Gram panchayat property: a 2014 circular on the procedure for registering property in gram panchayat areas.
  • Cancellations and corrections: cancellation of conveyance deeds; District Registrars correcting data-entry errors.
  • Digital records: e-Khata (ULMS) integration with Kaveri; Aadhaar authentication at registration; four 2024 circulars integrating e-Aasthi with Kaveri 2.0, one naming BBMP properties.
  • Tax reporting: the procedure under Section 285BA(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961.

Does this mean every property without e-Khata is blocked?

Not on the Gazette alone. NammaWard notes that a circular's subject line cannot establish that every Bengaluru property without an e-Khata is barred, or what exceptions apply; the full circular text decides that (NammaWard, 13 October 2026). In practice, Bengaluru registrations already run through the e-Khata and Kaveri 2.0 link. If your seller's e-Khata is incomplete, sort it out before you fix a registration date. Our guide: A-Khata, B-Khata and e-Khata in Bengaluru (2026): What a Buyer Must Check Now.

What a buyer should do before the registration date

  • Check acquisition status by survey number and hissa, not just village. Look at BDA, KIADB and other land notices for the exact parcel.
  • For agricultural or converted land, make sure the Form 11-E sketch is ready.
  • If the seller acts through a GPA, ask for the original and proof that the principal is alive.
  • Confirm the e-Khata (city) or e-Swathu (panchayat) record matches the sale deed description.
  • Pay stamp duty and fees in full; unpaid charges are a listed refusal ground.
  • If registration is refused, ask for the written reasons. The Act provides remedies; take legal advice on timelines.
  • Our step-by-step process: Property Registration Process in Bangalore: 2026 Steps.

Homes nearing possession on Property Point

If you are buying a new flat close to handover, the builder's conveyance team usually prepares the deed, but the checks above still apply to you. Listed projects nearing possession, with prices on Property Point's listings (developer information, October 2026):