Report No. 248

4. Forfeited Deposits Act, Act 25 of 1850

Category: Land Laws

Recommendation: Repeal

This Act was enacted for the forfeiture to the Government of deposits made on incomplete sales of land made under Regulation VIII, 1819 of the Bengal Code (the Bengal Patni Taluks Regulation, 1819).

Since tenure-holders or patnidars were taking fraudulent advantage of this Regulation, this Act was introduced to counter the situation. The Regulation allowed forfeited deposits at land sales to be applied as purchase-money. The Act instead provided that forfeited deposits were to be used towards the cost of sales, and the rest to be forfeited to Government. This Act is of no relevance after 1947.