The Delhi Apartment Ownership Act, 1986
10. Benamidar of the apartment to be deemed to be the real owner-
If any apartment is acquired by any person, whether by allotment, sale or otherwise with the consideration thereof paid or provided by another person, the acquirer shall, notwithstanding anything contained in the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (4 of 1882), or in the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (2 of 1882) or in any other law for the time being in force, be deemed to be the real owner of such apartment, and no court shall entertain any claim of the real owner of such apartment, and no court shall entertain any claim of the person paying or providing such consideration for title to such apartment on the ground that the acquisition of the apartment was made on behalf of such person or on behalf of someone through whom such person claims.
NOTES
Though benami transactions are common in this country and there is nothing per se wrong in a judgment-debtor purchasing property in another man’s name, we have to take into account all the circumstances attending the purchase and his subsequent conduct for finding out whether it was part of a fraudulent scheme on his part to prevent the judgment-creditor from realizing the fruits of his decree.
The onus to prove that the purchase is benami is on the person who alleges it.
The Court will presume an ostensible title to be the real title unless a plaintiff who seeks to assert the contrary pleads and proves that the ostensible owner is not the real owner, in other words the onus is on the person who alleges a transaction to be benami to make it out.
The Delhi Apartment Ownership Act, 1986
