law: Transfer of Property Act, 1882
  3. Interpretation clause
  In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject
  
  or context,-
  " immovable property" does not include standing
  
  timber, growing crops or grass;
  "instrument" means a non-testamentary instrument;
  "attested", in relation to an instrument, means and
  
  shall be deemed always to have meant attested by two or more witnesses each of
  
  whom has seen the executant sign or affix his mark to the instrument, or has
  
  seen some other person sign the instrument in the presence and by the direction
  
  of the executant, or has received from the executant a personal acknowledgement
  
  of his signature or mark, or of the signature of such other person, and each of
  
  whom has signed the instrument in the presence of the executant; but it shall
  
  not be necessary that more than one of such witnesses shall have been present
  
  at the same time, and no particular form of attestation shall be necessary;
  "registered" means registered in any part of the
  
  territories to which this Act extends under the law for the time being in force
  
  regulating the registration of documents;
  " attached to the earth" means-
  (a) rooted in the earth, as in the case of
  
  trees and shrubs;
  (b) imbedded in the earth, as in the case of
  
  walls or buildings; or
  (c) attached to what is so embedded for the
  
  permanent beneficial enjoyment of that to which it is attached;
  "actionable claim" means a claim to any debt, other
  
  than a debt secured by mortgage of immovable property or by hypothecation or
  
  pledge of movable property, or to any beneficial interest in movable property
  
  not in the possession, either actual or constructive, of the claimant, which
  
  the civil courts recognize as affording grounds for relief, whether such debt
  
  or beneficial interest be existent, accruing, conditional or contingent;
  "a person is said to have notice" of a fact when he
  
  actually knows that fact, or when, but for willful abstention from an enquiry
  
  or search which he ought to have made, or gross negligence, he would have known
  
  it.
  Explanation I: Where any transaction relating to immovable
  
  property is required by law to be and has been effected by a registered instrument,
  
  any person acquiring such property or any part of, or share or interest in,
  
  such property shall be deemed to have notice of such instrument as from the
  
  date of registration or, where the property is not all situated in one
  
  sub-district, or where the registered instrument has been registered under
  
  sub-section (2) of section 30 of the Indian Registration Act, 1908 (16 of
  
  1908), from the earliest date on which any memorandum of such registered
  
  instrument has been filed by any Sub-Registrar within whose sub-district any
  
  part of the property which is being acquired, or of the property wherein a
  
  share or interest is being acquired, is situated:
  PROVIDED that-
  (1) the instrument has been registered and its registration
  
  completed in the manner prescribed by the Indian Registration Act, 1908 (16 of
  
  1908), and the rules made thereunder,
  (2) the instrument of memorandum has been duly entered or filed,
  
  as the case may be, in books kept under section 51 of that Act, and
  (3) the particulars regarding the transaction to which the
  
  instrument relates have been correctly entered in the indexes kept under
  
  section 55 of that Act.
  Explanation II: Any person acquiring any immovable
  
  property or any share or interest in any such property shall be deemed to have
  
  notice of the title, if any, of any person who is for the time being in actual
  
  possession thereof.
  Explanation III: A person shall be deemed to have had
  
  notice of any fact if his agent acquires notice thereof whilst acting on his
  
  behalf in the course of business to which that fact is material:
  PROVIDED that, if the agent fraudulently conceals the
  
  fact, the principal shall not be charged with notice thereof as against any
  
  person who was a party to or otherwise cognizant of the fraud.