Benami

adjective; also used attributively and as a noun (chiefly in Indian legal and financial usage)

/beˈnɑː.mi/

A transaction in which property is held or transferred in the name of one person (the benamidar) while the consideration is paid by another person (the beneficial owner), typically to conceal the true ownership of assets or evade taxation.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The strengthened Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Act, 2016 reflects the state's resolve to pierce the veil of benami holdings through which black money is laundered into real estate, thereby reinforcing both fiscal accountability and the integrity of property records.

Synonyms

proxy-heldnominee-heldfictitiousostensiblefrontedname-lending

Antonyms

bona fidegenuinereal (ownership)transparent

🌱 Word Family

benami (adj/n), benamidar (n), benami transaction (n phrase); No standard English derivatives beyond Indian legal usage

🔡 Root

Persian be-/binā- (without) + Hindi nām (name) → Hindi benāmī (nameless, without a name); in Indian law since 19th c.

📜 Etymology

From Hindi benāmī, combining the Persian prefix be-/binā- ("without") + nām ("name"), literally meaning "without a name" or "nameless"; the term has been used in Indian law since at least the 19th century and was first legislated through the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act, 1988.

🧠 Memory Hook

Break it as "be- + naam" (Persian/Hindi: 'without a name'). A BENAMI deal is a property with no REAL name attached to it: the true owner hides behind a borrowed nameplate.

🛡️ Internal Security 📖 Seen in: Organised Crime, Terrorism Financing &...

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