Benami Transactions Act (Prohibition), 1988
2. Definitions. -
In this Act, unless the context otherwise
requires, --
(a) "Benami transaction" means any
transaction in which property is transferred to one person for a consideration
paid or provided by another person:
(b) "prescribed" means prescribed by
rules made under this Act;
(c) Property means property of any kind,
whether movable or immovable, tangible or intangible, and includes any right or
interest in such property.
Comments: It may be noted that the Act is a
piece of prohibitory legislation and it prohibits benami transactions
subject to stated exceptions and makes such
transactions punishable and also prohibits the right to defenses against
recovery of benami transactions as defined in S. 2(a) of the Act. The
Parliament has jurisdiction to pass a declaratory legislation. As a result of
the provisions of the Act all properties held benami at the moment of the Act
coming into force may be affected irrespective of their beginning, duration and
origin. This will be so even if the legislation is not retrospective but only
retroactive. Mithilesh Kumari v. Prem Behari Khare AIR 1989 SUPREME COURT
1247