EC Shows Old Mortgage or Wrong Charge? Here Is How to Get It Corrected

Who this guide is for

This guide is for property owners in India who face one of these situations:

• Old closed mortgage still showing: You repaid a home loan or loan against property, the bank returned your title documents and gave you a closure letter, but when you pull a fresh EC the bank's name still appears as a mortgage charge-holder. A buyer or fresh lender will see this and stall the deal.
• Inherited property with ancient mortgage: You inherited or bought a property where a mortgage was created decades ago. There is no discharge or release entry in the EC, and you cannot locate the original lender.
• Wrong indexing — not your transaction: The EC carries a transaction (mortgage, court order, charge) that belongs to a neighbouring property or a different person, indexed incorrectly against your survey or plot number.
• Partial correction needed: The mortgage entry itself is accurate but the document number, date, amount, or lender name is recorded incorrectly in the EC's index.

If your issue is that a CERSAI lien registered by the bank has not been removed after loan closure, that is handled separately — see the guide on CERSAI mortgage lien not removed after home loan closure, linked in Related guides below. The CERSAI registry and the sub-registrar's EC are two different systems, and you may need to act on both.

What you can do this weekend

Friday evening

Download a fresh EC from your state's registration portal (Kaveri for Karnataka, TNREGINET for Tamil Nadu, igrmaharashtra.gov.in for Maharashtra, or your state's equivalent). Search for the maximum available period — ideally 30 years or from the first known transaction. Screenshot or save the PDF. Note the exact entry that is problematic: document number, year of registration, the name of the bank or charge-holder, and the type of transaction recorded (mortgage by deposit of title deeds, equitable mortgage, simple mortgage, etc.).

Also pull out the physical documents the bank returned when you closed the loan — loan closure letter, NOC, original title deeds, and any document the bank calls a "discharge deed" or "release letter." Look carefully at that release document: does it have a sub-registrar stamp, a registration number, and a date of registration? If yes, proceed to Step 5 below — the deed may already be registered but not yet reflected. If there is no registration stamp, the deed has not been registered and that is what needs to happen first.

Saturday

Call your bank's home loans or loan closure department. Ask specifically: "Has a release deed / reconveyance deed / discharge deed been registered at the sub-registrar office for my property? If yes, give me the document registration number." Many borrowers find the bank has the deed ready but nobody told them to collect and register it. Some PSU banks register the discharge deed themselves; others hand it to the borrower to register. Know which applies in your case.

If the bank says a release deed exists, note the registration document number and cross-check it on your state's portal using the document search feature. If the bank says no release deed has been issued, send a written email or WhatsApp message (on the official bank helpline or your loan manager) asking for it — this creates a paper trail. State the loan account number, the full closure date, and the sub-registrar office where the original mortgage was registered.

Separately, if the problem is a data-entry or indexing error rather than an undischarged mortgage, visit your state's registration portal and look for an online correction request facility. TNREGINET in Tamil Nadu, for example, allows you to file a correction request online. Note the process and prepare your supporting documents.

Sunday

Organise all your paperwork into two folders — one for the bank track (loan closure, NOC, release deed if any) and one for the sub-registrar track (EC printout, sale deed, patta/khata, survey records). Review the step-by-step plan below and decide which track applies. Draft a written complaint to the bank (template below) if the bank has not executed the release deed. Plan your first in-person visit to the sub-registrar office on the next working day.

Documents and evidence checklist

Step-by-step action plan

Track A — Old mortgage that has been repaid but not discharged in EC

1. Confirm the problem. Download a fresh EC and identify the exact mortgage entry. Note the document number, the year it was registered, and the bank. An EC entry for a mortgage will typically say something like "Mortgage deed" or "Equitable mortgage / Memorandum of Deposit of Title Deeds (MODT)" with the lender's name and amount. This is a registered fact — it will stay there until a corresponding registered release appears.
2. Check if a release deed already exists but is not yet indexed. Call the bank and ask for the registration number of the release deed. Check it on your state portal. Transactions registered in the last several weeks may not yet have been indexed into the searchable EC database — there can be a processing lag. If the release deed was registered recently, wait for indexing and then pull a fresh EC.
3. If no release deed exists — request it in writing from the bank. Send a formal written request to the bank's branch manager stating: your loan account number, the property address, the original mortgage document number and registration date, the date of full repayment, and your request for a release / reconveyance deed. Quote the RBI circular on responsible lending conduct (September 2023) which requires lenders to release all property documents and remove charges within 30 days of full repayment. Keep a copy of this written request.
4. Collect the executed release deed from the bank. The bank will give you a release deed or reconveyance deed executed on their letterhead and signed by an authorised signatory. This document by itself is not enough — it must be registered.
5. Register the release deed at the correct sub-registrar office. Take the release deed to the sub-registrar office in whose jurisdiction the original mortgage was registered. You (the property owner) must be present. Bank representative presence is generally not required, but check with the specific sub-registrar office. Pay the applicable stamp duty and registration fee — fees for a release or discharge deed are typically modest compared to a sale deed (exact amounts vary by state; check the current schedule on your state's IGR portal before visiting). Collect the registered document with the endorsement stamp, document number, and date.
6. Pull a fresh EC and verify. Wait for the indexing lag after registration, then download a new EC. The updated EC should now show both the original mortgage entry and the release deed entry, confirming the charge has been formally discharged. This is the correct outcome — the mortgage entry does not disappear from history; a release entry is added next to it, which clears the encumbrance.
7. Also ask the bank to update CERSAI. The sub-registrar's EC and the CERSAI central registry are separate systems. Even after the EC is updated, the bank must separately file a satisfaction of charge on the CERSAI portal. Ask the bank in writing to confirm this has been done. See the CERSAI mortgage lien removal guide for the details of that process.

Track B — Wrong indexing error (not your transaction)

1. Identify the discrepancy precisely. Look at the EC entry and compare it with your own documents. Is it a wrong survey number, wrong door number, wrong owner name, or a transaction that belongs to a different property entirely? Get a certified copy of the underlying registered document from the sub-registrar (you can apply by document number) to confirm what that document actually says versus how it was indexed.
2. File a correction petition at the sub-registrar office. Draft a written petition clearly explaining the error, attaching supporting documents — your sale deed, patta, the EC printout, the certified copy of the erroneous document, and your identity proof. Some states (Tamil Nadu via TNREGINET, Karnataka via Kaveri) allow you to file correction requests online. Others require you to appear in person. After filing, get an acknowledgement receipt.
3. Cooperate with the sub-registrar's verification. The sub-registrar office will verify the records. For simple indexing corrections — a digit transposition in a survey number, a spelling error in a name — this can be resolved within a few working days in most states. For more complex corrections involving disputed documents, it may take longer.
4. Escalate to the District Registrar if the sub-registrar does not act. If the sub-registrar's office does not respond to your correction petition within a reasonable time, escalate to the District Registrar (sometimes called the Inspector General of Registration or Additional Inspector General depending on the state). File a fresh representation with all documents and a copy of your earlier petition.
5. Civil court as a last resort. If the administrative route fails and the erroneous entry is causing serious harm (blocking a sale, a loan, or an inheritance), consult a property lawyer about filing a civil suit for declaration or correction. The sub-registrar or the party whose document caused the error may need to be made a party.

Understanding what the EC actually reflects

The EC is not an editable spreadsheet that officials update manually. It is an index of registered documents maintained under the Registration Act, 1908. Each time a deed, mortgage, or release deed is registered, it is added to this index. So:

• A mortgage entry stays permanently as a historical fact of what was registered.
• Once a release deed is registered, a new entry appears showing the discharge. Both entries co-exist — the mortgage and its release. This is the correct clean EC: it shows a complete chain of events.
• A pure data-entry error (wrong number, wrong name) can be corrected administratively without a new deed.
• An unregistered release document — however official-looking — does nothing to the EC until it is registered.

This guide focuses on the sub-registrar route for state-registered mortgages. For CERSAI charges (which the bank registers separately in the central registry), refer to our guide on CERSAI mortgage lien not removed after home loan closure.

Escalation ladder

Copy-paste complaint template

Replace the text in square brackets with your own details before sending. Use this for the written request to the bank asking for a release deed. Adapt for the sub-registrar correction petition where noted.

When RTI can help

The RTI Act, 2005 applies to public authorities — and several of the key bodies in this process are public authorities:

• Sub-registrar office: A government office and a public authority. You can file an RTI application to the State Registration Department (through the sub-registrar or the State Inspector General of Registration) to get certified copies of registered documents, the correction petition status, or records showing what documents are indexed under your property. This is particularly useful if the sub-registrar has been slow to act on your correction petition — an RTI on the status of your petition often accelerates a response. See our guide on RTI for land records for the detailed process.
• PSU and nationalised banks: Banks like SBI, PNB, Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, and other public-sector banks are public authorities under the RTI Act. If your bank is a PSU bank and is refusing or delaying the release deed, you can file an RTI application to the bank asking for: the date on which your loan was marked as fully closed in the bank's records; copies of the discharge/release deed or reconveyance deed executed for your loan; records showing whether a satisfaction of charge was filed with CERSAI. An RTI query to a PSU bank often produces results much faster than a written grievance alone. The File RTI online guide explains how to file and pay the fee. For First Appeal if the bank does not respond, see First Appeal under Section 19.
• Revenue and land records offices: For survey records or patta/khata corrections that feed into the property's legal description, the relevant tehsildar or revenue authority is a public authority under RTI.

Use RTI as a documentation tool — to get certified copies of records that prove the error or prove the bank's non-compliance — and as an accountability tool — a pending RTI query on a government office often speeds up administrative processing. The RTI Playbook has detailed drafting guidance for these situations.

When RTI will not help

• Private banks and NBFCs: Private sector banks (HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Kotak, etc.) and private NBFCs are not public authorities under the RTI Act. You cannot file an RTI application against them. For private banks, use the RBI's Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (cms.rbi.org.in) instead — it covers all RBI-regulated lenders regardless of ownership.
• Private housing finance companies: Same position as private NBFCs — not subject to RTI. Complain to the RBI ombudsman.
• Forcing a court order through RTI: RTI can get you documents and records. It cannot compel a bank to register a release deed or a court to pass a decree. For those outcomes, the Consumer Commission or civil court is the right forum.
• CERSAI directly: CERSAI is a government company, but the practical route for charge satisfaction is through your lender who registered the charge. CERSAI itself does not accept borrower-side applications for charge satisfaction — that must come from the lender.

For banking grievances generally, refer to our guide on the Banking Ombudsman complaint process, and for what the bank must do when it returns property documents after loan closure, see Loan closure: property documents not returned and the ₹5,000/day RBI compensation rule.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Treating an NOC as equivalent to a release deed. An NOC or loan closure letter from the bank proves the loan is closed, but it does not clear the EC entry. Only a registered release deed updates the property's registration record. Always confirm that the deed carries a registration number and sub-registrar stamp.
• Registering the release deed at the wrong sub-registrar office. The release deed must be registered at the same sub-registrar office that has jurisdiction over the original mortgage. If you register it at the wrong office, it will not appear in the correct EC search.
• Expecting the EC to delete the mortgage entry. The EC is a historical record. The mortgage entry will always remain visible. What you are aiming for is a corresponding release deed entry appearing in the same EC — this combination confirms the property is free of that mortgage. If someone tells you the mortgage entry should "disappear" from the EC, that is not how the system works.
• Confusing the sub-registrar EC with the CERSAI registry. These are two separate systems. Clearing the EC does not automatically clear the CERSAI charge. You must separately ensure the bank has filed a satisfaction of charge on CERSAI. Failing to do this can affect future loan applications even after your EC is clean.
• Waiting too long after receiving the release deed from the bank. Once the bank hands you an unregistered release deed, register it at the sub-registrar office without unnecessary delay. Registration of documents generally has time sensitivity, and the longer you wait the more scope for complications.
• Accepting a verbal assurance from the bank that "it is done." Always ask for the registration document number and verify it independently on the state's registration portal. If the portal shows no such document number, it has not been registered.
• Filing an RTI against a private bank. Private sector banks are not public authorities under the RTI Act. Filing there will get a rejection and waste your 30-day window. Use the RBI ombudsman route instead.
• Seeking a correction petition when the real problem is an unregistered discharge. If the mortgage genuinely existed and the only issue is that it has not been formally discharged, a correction petition will be refused — because there is no indexing error. The correct route is to get the release deed registered. Correction petitions are for clerical or indexing mistakes, not for active (uncleared) mortgages.