Land Records
What is Index II?
The document that proves a document exists. Which sounds absurd until you meet someone holding a beautifully printed sale deed that was never registered at all.
The short answer
Index II is the sub-registrar's own summary of a registered document — the parties, the property, the consideration, the date, the document number.
Its purpose is simple and important: it proves that a registration actually happened, and that the deed you have been shown matches what was filed.
What Index II is
When a document is registered, the sub-registrar keeps an index of it. Index II — the property index — records, against the property:
- The document number and the date of registration
- The parties — who transferred, and to whom
- The property description — survey number, CTS number, flat number
- The consideration — the price recorded
- The market value as assessed for stamp duty
- The stamp duty and registration fee paid
It is most commonly used in Maharashtra, where it is a standard part of any due diligence pack. Other states maintain equivalent indices under different names.
Why it matters
A sale deed is a printed document. It can be beautifully typed, correctly worded, signed, and never registered at all.
It can also be registered with different terms from the copy you were shown — a different consideration, a different property description.
Index II is the sub-registrar's own record. If a transaction appears there, it happened. If it doesn't, it didn't — whatever paper you are holding.
It is also the cheapest way to verify a chain of title. Every registered transfer should appear in the index. Pull the Index II entries for each transaction in the chain, and you have independent confirmation that each one actually took place.
How to use Index II
- Match the document number on the deed to the entry in the index.
- Match the parties. Same names, same spellings.
- Match the property description. Survey / CTS number, flat number, area.
- Match the consideration. Does the price recorded match the deed you were shown?
- Check the date.
- Do this for every link in the chain of title, not just the last one.
Occasionally the Index II records a different price from the one in the deed a seller shows you.
That is worth understanding before you proceed. It may be innocent. It may indicate an under-declared transaction — which has consequences under Section 50C of the Income Tax Act for the seller, and Section 56 for the buyer.
It is not your problem to solve. It is your problem to find, before you become part of the chain.
How to get Index II
- Apply to the sub-registrar's office where the property is registered.
- Or use the state's registration portal — IGR Maharashtra, and equivalents elsewhere.
- Search by document number and year, or by property and party.
- Pay a small fee.
- Get one for every transaction in the chain of title, not just the most recent.
It is not expensive, it is not slow, and it is one of the few checks that gives you an independent confirmation — from the state's own records — rather than something a seller has handed you.
Frequently asked questions
What is Index II in property?
The sub-registrar's own summary of a registered document, recording the parties, the property, the consideration, the stamp duty paid and the date of registration. It is used to verify that a registration actually happened and that the deed you were shown matches what was filed.
Why do I need Index II?
Because a sale deed is a printed document — it can be beautifully typed, correctly worded, signed, and never registered at all. It can also be registered with different terms from the copy you were shown. Index II is the sub-registrar's own record: if a transaction appears there, it happened.
How do I get an Index II?
Apply to the sub-registrar's office where the property is registered, or use the state's registration portal — IGR Maharashtra, and equivalents elsewhere. Search by document number and year, or by property and party. Get one for every transaction in the chain of title, not just the most recent.
What if the Index II shows a different price from the sale deed?
That is worth understanding before you proceed. It may be innocent, or it may indicate an under-declared transaction — which has consequences under Section 50C of the Income Tax Act for the seller and Section 56 for the buyer. It is not your problem to solve, but it is very much your problem to find before you become part of the chain.