संक्षेप में: अगर जमाबंदी में कोई हिस्सेदार नाबालिग है, तो उसका हिस्सा उसके माता-पिता अपने मन से नहीं बेच सकते। हिंदू अप्राप्तवयता और संरक्षकता अधिनियम, 1956 की धारा 8 के तहत अदालत की पहले से अनुमति ज़रूरी है। अनुमति के बिना हुई बिक्री को नाबालिग बालिग होने पर रद्द करवा सकता है। पैसा देने से पहले अदालत का आदेश देखें।
How you find out there is a minor
The jamabandi — the record of rights — lists every co-owner (khatedar) and their share. A minor may appear there because they inherited a share when a parent died, or because land was bought in their name. The record may name a guardian beside the minor’s name, but do not rely on that alone:
- ask the seller, in writing, for the age of every person on the record;
- if a share came by inheritance recently, read the mutation that brought the heirs onto the record — see succession and warasat;
- see an identity document for each co-owner who signs, and for each minor, proof of age and of who the guardian is.
What the law says
Section 8 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956 (which covers Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists) sets the rule:
- The natural guardian — usually the father, and after him the mother — may do what is necessary, reasonable and proper for the benefit of the minor or the minor’s estate (s.8(1)).
- But the guardian shall not, without the previous permission of the court, mortgage or charge, or transfer by sale, gift, exchange or otherwise, any part of the minor’s immovable property; nor lease it for more than five years, or for more than one year beyond the date the minor turns 18 (s.8(2)).
- A disposal in breach of this is voidable at the instance of the minor or anyone claiming under them (s.8(3)).
- The court grants permission only in case of necessity or for an evident advantage to the minor (s.8(4)).
What “voidable” means for a buyer
A voidable sale is not cancelled on its own. It stands until the minor, after turning 18, chooses to set it aside. The Limitation Act, 1963 (Article 60) gives a ward three years from attaining majority to sue to set aside a transfer made by the guardian. And in K.S. Shivappa v. K. Neelamma (2025 INSC 1195), as reported, the Supreme Court held that a suit is not always needed: the minor can repudiate the sale by clear conduct of their own after majority — for example by selling the same land to someone else. For a buyer, the risk can surface many years after the registry.
What to ask for before you pay
- The court’s order permitting the sale of the minor’s share — a certified copy. Check that it names the land, the share, the guardian, and any conditions it sets, such as how the minor’s part of the price is to be kept.
- Every adult co-owner signs for their own share.
- The guardian signs for the minor, as guardian under that order, and the sale deed recites the order.
- The price is paid as the order directs — not in cash to the guardian if the order says otherwise.
- The mutation moves the minor’s share too — see mutation in Rajasthan.
If there is no court order
You can wait while the guardian applies to the court; you can buy only the adults’ undivided shares, and own the land jointly with the minor until a partition; or you can walk away. What you should not do is pay for the whole holding against a promise that the minor’s share “will be sorted out later”.
Other situations
- A minor who is not Hindu, Jain, Sikh or Buddhist: other law applies, including the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890 and personal law. Take advice.
- A minor’s undivided interest in joint family property is treated differently under the same Act (s.12). Take advice.
Our buying checklist and the Check papers desk go through the rest of the record. Questions: WhatsApp +91 92502 13833.
Questions · अक्सर पूछे सवाल
Can a parent sell land that is in their child’s name?
Not on their own say-so. Under Section 8 of the Hindu Minority and Guardianship Act, 1956, the natural guardian needs the court’s previous permission to sell, mortgage, gift or exchange any part of a minor’s immovable property, and the court gives it only for necessity or an evident advantage to the minor.
What happens if the land was sold without the court’s permission?
The sale is voidable at the instance of the minor. After turning 18 the minor can set it aside — by a suit within three years, or, as the Supreme Court held in 2025, by clear conduct of their own such as selling the same land again. The buyer can lose the minor’s share.
Which court gives the permission?
The district court — or a city civil court, or a court empowered under the Guardians and Wards Act — for the area where the land lies, on the guardian’s application. Ask for a certified copy of the order and read its conditions before you pay.
Can I buy only the adult owners’ shares?
The adult co-owners can sell their own undivided shares. You then own the land jointly with the minor, and separating your part needs a partition. Take an advocate’s view before choosing this.
Does AgriZameen check this for me?
Our Check papers desk reads the jamabandi with you and lists the owners on it, so you can see who has to sign. Whether a co-owner is a minor, and whether a court order covers their share, is for you and your advocate to confirm before you pay.
AgriZameen एक स्वतंत्र निजी प्लेटफ़ॉर्म है — सरकारी संस्था नहीं। यह सामान्य जानकारी है, क़ानूनी सलाह नहीं। पैसा देने से पहले सरकारी रिकॉर्ड ख़ुद देखें और वकील से सलाह लें।