How to Check if Your Land Has Been Sold Without Your Knowledge

To check if your land in India has been sold without your knowledge, search two places: the registration department's records (an encumbrance certificate or deed search) for any sale registered against your survey number, and the revenue land record for a new owner name or mutation. Many states let you do both online in under an hour. If you find something, there is a clear same-week plan below, and the law is on your side: a sale by someone who does not own the land does not pass title.

Why do you need to check two places?

Because a sale is recorded in two different offices, at two different times. Fraudsters count on owners checking only one.

The deed is registered first at the sub-registrar. The buyer then applies for mutation, and only when that is approved does the land record show a new name. That gap can be weeks. If you catch the deed before the mutation, you can object before the record changes.

How do you search registered deeds or the EC in your state?

Go to your state's stamps and registration portal and search by district, sub-registrar office, village and survey or property number. These are the official routes we confirmed:

Maharashtra's free eSearch notes that registrations are updated to it in real time and covers computerised registrations from 2002 onward, with older years for some offices. In other states, or where online search is patchy, a local lawyer or relative can apply for an EC or a search at the sub-registrar's office. Our encumbrance certificate guide explains how to read one.

Search the whole period from when your family acquired the land to today, not just the last year. And search by survey number, not only your name: a forged deed may spell the seller's name differently.

How do you check the land record for a new owner?

Open your state's land record portal, search by khasra or survey number, and compare the owner column with what you expect. The land record finder tells you what the record is called and which portal to use, and our state-wise guide walks through each one.

Look for three things:

• A new name in the owner or holder column, or your name missing.
• A recent mutation number and date in the remarks or mutation column.
• A changed area or share, which can mean part of the land was sold.

Some portals also show pending mutation applications. In Haryana, jamabandi.nic.in has an option to check the mutation of a deed and raise an objection online.

What should you do if you find a sale you did not make?

Act the same week, in writing, in this order. Most of it can be done from abroad with a local lawyer.

1. 1

   Save everything with dates

   Screenshot the EC or deed search result and the land record page, with the date visible. Note the deed number, sub-registrar office and registration date.
2. 2

   Get certified copies

   Ask a lawyer or trusted person to apply for a certified copy of the deed, which shows the photos, ID and signatures used at registration, plus a certified copy of the land record.
3. 3

   Object to the mutation if it is pending

   If the buyer's mutation has not been approved, file a written objection with the tehsildar or revenue officer at once. This is far easier than an appeal later.
4. 4

   Appeal if the mutation is already done

   Revenue appeal deadlines are short and run from the order date. Our guide to challenging a wrong mutation explains who hears it.
5. 5

   File a written police complaint

   Impersonation and forged deeds are crimes under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita: cheating by personation (section 319), forgery (section 336) and using a forged document as genuine (section 340). Keep the receipt or FIR number.
6. 6

   Ask a lawyer about cancelling the deed

   A civil court can declare the deed void and order it cancelled under Section 31 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963; the court sends its decree to the registering office, which notes the cancellation. Ask also about an injunction against any further sale.
7. 7

   Check the ground

   Someone who buys fraudulently usually wants to use the land. Get dated photos or satellite images to see if anyone has started fencing, levelling or building.

The complaint letter generator helps you draft a clear first complaint, and the encroachment action plan covers the steps if someone is already on the land. Our guide to NRI property fraud explains how these frauds are usually done.

Does a fake registry mean you have lost the land?

No. Someone who does not own land cannot pass ownership of it. The Supreme Court said in K. Gopi v. Sub-Registrar (2025) that if the executant has no right, title or interest in the property, the registered document cannot effect any transfer.

But the deed still sits on the registry's books until a court cancels it, and a mutation based on it can mislead buyers and banks. That is why the cancellation suit matters. Under Article 59 of the Limitation Act, 1963, a suit to cancel an instrument generally has to be filed within three years of when you first learn the facts. If someone has also taken possession, read our explainer on the 12-year adverse possession rule.

Why do some states show "prohibited property" lists?

Some registration portals, including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, publish lists of prohibited properties: land that sub-registrars are told not to register, such as certain government land. These are official notifications, not something a private owner can usually add their land to. Do not assume there is a way to "lock" your land at the registry; checking regularly is the protection that works.

How do you make sure you never find out years late?

Check on a schedule, not only when you are worried. A fraud caught in the first weeks, before the mutation or a resale, is far simpler to undo.

A sensible rhythm: the land record every few weeks, an EC or deed search once or twice a year, and an eye on the land itself. Older powers of attorney are a common route for these sales, so revoke any you no longer need; see our guide to power of attorney risks.

PlotPehra does the record check for you. We read the official land record every week in 19 states and flag a new owner, a new mutation or a changed share or area, and a real person explains what it means by email and WhatsApp. We also watch the land on every clear satellite image for signs that someone has started using it. No power of attorney, ever.

This is general information, not legal advice. If you have found a sale you did not make, talk to a local property lawyer in the district where the land is today.