Thumb Impression in documents

Thumb Impression for indemnification of parties

A registering officer may require any executant, claimant, or identifying or other witness regarding whose identity he has to satisfy himself but who is not personally known to him to affix his presence, whether such person can write his name or not, the impression of the bulb of his left thumb both in the register of thumb impressions as well as on the document presented for registration.

Such impression shall invariably be taken in the case of marksmen and illiterate females.

If the left thumb does not give a clear impression or is non-existent the impression of any finger of the left hand shall be obtained.

Failing this, the impression of the right thumb, or if that also is non-existent or deformed, of any finger of the right hand, shall be taken.

Thumb impression shall be dispensed with in the case of a person suffering from leprosy or contagious disease. (In such cases a note should be entered in the register of thumb-impression explaining the circumstances under which it has not been obtained.)

In the case of a gosha woman who does not appear before a registering officer and whose examination in connection with the registration of a document, the finger impression shall be taken by the ‘hammamnee’ who shall clearly instructed as to the process.

(Rule 60 of the Registration Act.)