Central Registry
Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 deals with central Registry. The Central Government may, by notification, set up or cause to be set up from such date as it may specify in such notification, a registry to be known as the Central Registry with its own seal for the purposes of registration of transaction of securitisation and reconstruction of financial assets a The Act came into force on 21 Jun 2002.
(1) The Central Government may, by notification, set up or cause to be set up from such date as it may specify in such notification, a registry to be known as the Central Registry with its own seal for the purposes of registration of transaction of securitisation and reconstruction of financial assets and creation of security interest under this Act.
(2) The head office of the Central Registry shall be at such place as the Central Government may specify and for the purpose of facilitating registration of transactions referred to in sub-section (1), there may be established at such other places as the Central Government may think fit, branch offices of the Central Registry.
(3) The Central Government may, by notification, define the territorial limits within which an office of the Central Registry may exercise its functions.
(4) The provisions of this Act pertaining to the Central Registry shall be in addition to and not in derogation of any of the provisions contained in the Registration Act, 1908 (16 of 1908), the Companies Act, 1956 (1 of 1956), the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958), the Patents Act, 1970 (39 of 1970), the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 (49 of 1988), and the Designs Act, 2000 (16 of 2000) or any other law requiring registration of charges and shall not affect the priority of charges or validity thereof under those Acts or laws.
Section 20, The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (Act 54 of 2002).
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Jalgaon Janta Sahakari Bank Ltd. & Anr. v. Joint Commissioner of Sales Tax Nodal 9, Mumbai & Anr.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Bombay HC Full Bench, WP 2935/2018 & connected, Final Order order-49.pdf (DATE VERIFIED — document "PRONOUNCED ON: AUGUST 30, 2022" matches index). On CERSAI/Chapter IV-A architecture, FB held Chapter IV Central Registry and Chapter IV-A (ss.26B–26E) must be read together: registration of security interest with the Central Registry is the gateway to enforcement/priority benefits; attachment orders of tax authorities must also be filed with CERSAI under the Central Registry Rules as amended 24.01.2020.
On this section: Applied s.20 Central Registry as the statutory registry through which security interests and (post-amendment) tax attachments are recorded for Chapter IV-A consequences.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… No.38409 of 2010 (Record Page No.14) before this Court. It is apposite to reproduce the prayer clause in the said writ petition, which reads thus:- - ''a. To issue writ of mandamus directing the 01st respondent to constituted Central Registry as per Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act 2002 or in alternate declare that Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act 2002 applicable only in cases were secured assets are registered with Central …
Made under this section, and citing it
4 instruments state that it was made under this provision — the power to make it comes from here, so a change to any of them changes what this section requires in practice. Newest first.
Another 2 instruments name this provision in its title or its text without being made under it.
- Notification No. S.O 176(E) dtd 18.1.17 - Date of Enforcement of Sections 20 & 21 of Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Act, 2016Notification 2017
- Notification SO 466(E) dared 6.4.2004 - Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2004Notification 2004
Questions about Section 20
What have the courts held on Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act?
Jalgaon Janta Sahakari Bank Ltd. & Anr. v. Joint Commissioner of Sales Tax Nodal 9, Mumbai & Anr. (30 Aug 2022) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Applied s.20 Central Registry as the statutory registry through which security interests and (post-amendment) tax attachments are recorded for Chapter IV-A consequences.
How do I find court cases under Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act 20, section 20 Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act. People searching for it also type sarfaesi 20 lakhs. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Jalgaon Janta Sahakari Bank Ltd. & Anr. v. Joint Commissioner of Sales Tax Nodal 9, Mumbai & Anr. (30 Aug 2022).
What should I read with Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, and has it changed?
4 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. The rules and notifications made under it are where it actually bites, and there are 4: most recently Notification No. 4185(E) dated 27th December 2016 - Delegation of Powers by CERSAI to Reserve Bank of India (2016), then SARFAESI (Central Registry) Amendment Rules, 2016 (2016), and 2 more.
When did Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act come into force?
Section 20 of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, cited as Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act 20, came into force on 21 Jun 2002, having been enacted on 17 Dec 2002. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 2. Definitions2302 words
- 13. Enforcement of security interest1875 words
- 17. Application against measures to recover secured debts929 words
- 30D. Recovery of penalties738 words
- 5. Acquisition of rights or interest in financial assets709 words
- 14. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or District Magistrate to assist secured creditor in taking possession of secured asset694 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 15 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.