Also known as Dakhil kharij, khata transfer, intkal
A registered sale deed transfers ownership, but the government’s records do not update themselves. The new owner applies to the revenue office (for land) or the municipal body (for property tax) with the deed, and the record is “mutated” into the new name. In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar this is called dakhil kharij, in Haryana and Punjab intkal, and in Karnataka a khata transfer.
Mutation is not proof of title in itself; courts treat it mainly as a fiscal record. In practice it still matters a lot: without it the buyer cannot easily pay tax in their own name, get records for a loan, or prove possession history when they resell.
Inheritance mutations need a death certificate and a legal heir or succession document, and are a common source of delay in resale deals.
Example
A buyer purchases a 200 gaj plot in Lucknow for ₹64 lakh and registers the sale deed. Three months later the khatauni still shows the seller. She files for dakhil kharij at the tehsil with the deed; after the objection period the khatauni is updated to her name, and the bank releases the second tranche of her plot loan.
Figures are illustrative, not market rates.
Across India
- Uttar Pradesh: dakhil kharij, recorded in the khatauni (UP Bhulekh).
- Haryana and Punjab: intkal, entered in the jamabandi.
- Karnataka: khata transfer for urban property; mutation on the RTC for agricultural land.
- Maharashtra: a mutation entry (ferfar) on the 7/12 extract or property card.
Questions about Mutation
Is mutation proof of ownership?
No. Ownership comes from the registered title documents. Mutation updates the government record so taxes and revenue entries are in the right name. It still matters because banks, buyers and authorities check that the record matches the deed.
Who applies for mutation after a sale?
The buyer applies, usually at the tehsil or revenue office for land and at the municipal body for property tax. Several states accept applications online and some start mutation automatically from the registration record; check the state’s land records portal.
Sources
- UP Bhulekh, Board of Revenue, Uttar Pradesh · accessed
- Punjab Land Records Society (PLRS) · accessed
- Department of Land Resources (DILRMP), Government of India · accessed
Reviewed