Registration Act, 1908
Section 81: Penalty for incorrectly endorsing, copying, translating or registering documents with intent to injure
Every registering officer appointed under this Act and every person employed in his office for the purposes of this Act, who, being charged with the endorsing, copying, translating or registering of any document presented or deposited under its provisions, endorses, copies, translates or registers such document in a manner which he knows or believes to be incorrect, intending thereby to cause or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause, injury, as defined in the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), to any person, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
State amendments to this section
Karnataka
Amendment of section 81.—In section 81 of the principal Act,—
(i) in the marginal heading, for the words "the registering", the words "registering or filing" shall be substituted;
(ii) for the words "or registering of any document the words registering or filing a true copy of any document shall be substituted;
(iii) for the words "or registers such document", the words "registers or files a copy of such document" shall be substituted.
[Vide Karnataka Act 55 of 1976, s. 17]
Kerala
Amendment of section 81.—In section 81 of the principal Act,—
(a) for the words "or registering of any document", the words registering, or filing a true copy, of any document" shall be substituted;
(b) for the words "or registers such document", the words "registers, or files a true copy of, such document" shall be substituted.
[Vide Kerala Act 7 of 1968, s. 15]
Orissa
Amendment of section 81.—In the principal Act, in section 81,—
(a) for the words "or registering of any document" the words "registering or filing a true copy of any document" shall be substituted;
(b) for the words "or registers such document", the words "registers or files a true copy of such document" shall be substituted.
[Vide Orissa Act 14 of 1989, s. 13]
Tripura—
Amendment of section 81.—For section 81 of the principal Act, the following shall be substituted, namely:—
"81. Every registering officer appointed under this Act, and every person employed in his office for the purposes of this Act, who, being charged with the checking, endorsing, reading, examining, copying, translating, comparing, pasting a true copy, pasting a copy of the translation or registering of any document presented or deposited under its provisions checks, endorses, reads, examines, copies, translates, compares, pastes a true copy, pastes a copy of the translation or registers such document in a manner which he knows or believes to be incorrect intending thereby to cause or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause injury as defined in the Indian Penal Code, to any person, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both."
[Vide Tripura Act 7 of 1982, s. 14]
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.