Mutation

Also known as: khata transfer, MR, mutation register

Mutation is the updating of the revenue or municipal record to show a new holder after a transfer, inheritance or partition.

Mutation follows a transaction; it does not create one. After a registered sale the buyer applies to have the revenue record - the RTC in Karnataka - or the municipal Khata updated to their name. The mutation register entry is valuable evidence in a title search because it records which instrument caused the change, which is how column 11 of the RTC links an entry back to its source transaction.

What it proves

That the revenue or municipal authority updated its record following a stated transaction.

What it does not prove

Mutation does not confer or prove ownership. A mutation entry obtained on a defective instrument does not cure the defect, and the absence of mutation does not invalidate a properly registered sale.