Skip to main content

Prisoners Have A Fundamental Right to Trade, and Profession

In Soma Saha Sen -Vs- State of West Bengal & Ors., an imprisoned developer wanted to sell property to the willing buyers by executing a registered sale deed. Several prayers were made before the jail authority regarding the same but it did not yield any result. The prisoner’s wife then approached the Calcutta High Court.

On hearing the matter, Justice Joymalya Bagchi maintained – “Right to carry on trade and profession including right to convey property in course of such business is an essential fundamental right enshrined under Article 19(i)(g) of the Constitution of India and the same do not stand eclipsed by the continuing incarceration of a prisoner. Hence, I am of the opinion that incarceration of the husband of the petitioner shall not disentitle him from executing sale deeds to convey flats in favour of intending purchasers in accordance with law.”

The judge further interpreted prison as being the temporary home of the inmate- “When a prisoner is incarcerated in a correctional home, it is to be deemed that the prisoner is temporarily residing in the said correctional home. In view of such fact the residence of the prisoner for the purpose of the proviso to the aforesaid Section shall be construed to be in the precincts of the correctional home. Hence, if the registering authority is approached on behalf of the prisoner for registering a document which he is otherwise entitled to execute, it shall ordinarily be the duty of the said authority to hold a commission inside the precincts of the correctional home for effecting presentation of the instrument for registration in terms of Section 31 of the said Act.”

Can a developer transfer immovable property by executing a registered sale deed while being in prison, was answered in the affirmative by the Calcutta High Court.

However, to register sale deed the person is expected to go to the Registrar’s office under whose jurisdiction the property is situated. But for the incarcerated, mobility is restricted. Thus the High Court ordered that in such cases the registration can be carried out inside the prison premises.

Article referred:http://www.livelaw.in/prisoners-fundamental-right-trade-profession-rules-calcutta-hc/

Comments

Most viewed this month

The recovery of vehicles by the financier not an offence - SC

Special Leave Petition (Crl.) No. 8907  of 2009 Anup Sarmah (Petitioner) Vs Bhola Nath Sharma & Ors.(Respondents) The petitioner submitted that  respondents-financer had forcibly taken away the vehicle financed by them and  illegally deprived the petitioner from its lawful possession  and  thus,  committed  a crime. The complaint filed by the petitioner had been  entertained  by  the Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class), Gauhati (Assam) in Complaint Case  No.  608 of 2009, even directing the interim custody of the vehicle (Maruti  Zen)  be given to the petitioner vide order dated  17.3.2009.  The respondent on approaching the Guwahati High  Court against this order, the hon'ble court squashed the criminal  proceedings  pending   before  the  learned Magistrate. After hearing both sides, the Hon'ble Supreme Court decided on 30th...

Winding-Up Petition Can’t Be Used If Bona Fide Payment Disputes Pending

The Karnataka High Court, in the case of M/s Uttam Industrial Engineering Ltd vs  M/s Shree Basaveshwar Sugars Ltd, has held that a winding-up petition has serious  ramifications on the financial standing of a company and cannot be used in cases  where there is a bona fide dispute regarding the amount owed by one party to the  other and in such cases the company court should relegate the matter either to the  civil court or arbitral tribunal. In this case, Uttam Industrial Ltd entered into a contract with Basaveshwar Sugars Ltd  to provide machinery and equipment for a sugar plant. Article referred:  http://www.livelaw.in/remedy-winding-petition-cant-relied-upon-bona-fide-payment-disputes-karnataka-hc/

A liquidator must pay GST on sale of assets of a defunct company

The West Bengal Authority of Advance Ruling has ruled that a National Company Law Tribunal appointed liquidator must have the GST registration till all liabilities cease to exist and that the liquidator must pay goods and services tax (GST) on sale of assets of a defunct company under liquidation, as the sale is effectively supply of goods.