Land Grabbing Complaint Online in India: Where to Complain (NRIs)
Where to file a land grabbing complaint in India: police e-FIR, SP and magistrate, revenue officer, CM grievance portals, land-mafia cells and NRI help desks.
By the PlotPehra Land DeskUpdated 6 min read
Where to complain, exactly
On this page
- Who does what when land is grabbed?
- How do you file a police complaint, including online?
- What if the police will not register it?
- Which state grievance portals can help?
- Are there special land-grabbing laws and courts?
- Where can NRIs get extra help?
- What should your complaint include?
- How do you make your evidence hard to argue with?
To complain about land grabbing in India, file a written police complaint (online where your state allows it), apply to the tehsildar or revenue officer for certified records and demarcation, and have a local property lawyer send notice and, if needed, sue for possession. CM grievance portals and NRI help desks add pressure but do not decide ownership. This guide lists exactly where each complaint goes, what to write, and what each office can and cannot do.
Who does what when land is grabbed?
Land grabbing has three sides, and each office handles one. Knowing which is which saves weeks.
| Office | Handles | What to ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Police | Crimes: trespass, threats, forgery, cheating | Register your complaint or FIR; give you a copy |
| Revenue officer (tehsildar, SDM) | Records, mutation, demarcation | Certified copies, demarcation report, objection to any mutation |
| Civil court, through a lawyer | Possession and title | Injunction, recovery of possession, cancellation of forged deeds |
| Grievance portals and NRI cells | Pushing slow offices to act | Follow-up, tracking, escalation |
Police often say a land dispute is "civil in nature". That is normal, not a dead end. Your written complaint still records the date and the facts, and forgery, threats or trespass are crimes they must look at.
How do you file a police complaint, including online?
Go to, or write to, the police station for the area where the land is. If the land is elsewhere, you can still report a cognizable offence at any police station; under section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the information is recorded irrespective of where the offence happened. This is often called a Zero FIR.
Online: BNSS section 173 also allows information to be given by electronic communication. It is taken on record once the person giving it signs it within three days. Many state police websites run an e-complaint service; if you are abroad, plan for a representative or your own visit to sign. You are entitled to a free copy of the recorded information.
Which crimes to name: describe what happened and let the police apply the sections. For reference, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covers criminal trespass (section 329), cheating (section 318), cheating by personation (section 319) and forgery (section 336).
For some offences punishable with three to seven years, police may hold a preliminary enquiry of up to 14 days before registering the case, with a senior officer's permission. That is a "may", not a must.
What if the police will not register it?
Escalate in writing. This is the route the BNSS sets out.
Write to the Superintendent of Police
Send the substance of your complaint by post to the SP of the district (BNSS section 173(4)). Keep the postal receipt.Apply to the magistrate
If the SP does not act, a lawyer can apply to the magistrate with your affidavit. The magistrate can order the police to investigate (BNSS section 175(3)).Use the grievance portal in parallel
A complaint on your state's CM portal about inaction, with your receipt numbers, often gets a faster response.
The complaint letter generator drafts a clear, factual first complaint you can adapt for the police, the tehsildar or the SP.
Which state grievance portals can help?
Most states run an online grievance system that sends your complaint to the officer concerned and tracks it. These are the ones we confirmed:
| State | Portal |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh | Jansunwai-Samadhan (jansunwai.up.nic.in), which links to the state's Anti Bhu-Mafia Portal (abmp.up.gov.in) |
| Punjab | Connect Punjab (connect.punjab.gov.in) |
| Rajasthan | Rajasthan Sampark (sampark.rajasthan.gov.in), helpline 181 |
| Gujarat | SWAGAT (swagat.gujarat.gov.in), at village, taluka, district and state level |
| Karnataka | Janaspandana integrated grievance system (ipgrs.karnataka.gov.in) |
| Tamil Nadu | Mudhalvarin Mugavari (cmhelpline.tnega.org) |
| Kerala | CM's Public Grievance Redressal Cell (complaints.cmo.kerala.gov.in) |
| Bihar | Bihar Lok Shikayat (lokshikayat.bihar.gov.in) |
| Andhra Pradesh | Public Grievance Redressal System (pgrs.ap.gov.in) |
| West Bengal | CMO Grievance Portal (cmo.wb.gov.in) |
| Madhya Pradesh | CM Helpline (cmhelpline.mp.gov.in) |
The central CPGRAMS portal (pgportal.gov.in) does not take matters already in court, and land is mainly a state subject, so the state portal is usually the better fit. The Ministry of External Affairs' MADAD portal is for consular services at Indian missions abroad, not property disputes.
Are there special land-grabbing laws and courts?
Some states have them, with special courts and heavy penalties.
- Gujarat: the Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020 has a committee chaired by the District Collector and special courts, with punishment of 10 to 14 years. Under it, police register a case after the Collector's approval, in consultation with the committee.
- Andhra Pradesh: a Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill, 2024, which expressly covers private land, was introduced to replace the 1982 Act. Ask a local lawyer which law is in force for your case.
- Karnataka: its Land Grabbing Prohibition Act, 2011 has a special court, but it now applies to government and certain public land, not private plots.
Even where a special law applies, the ordinary police complaint for trespass, cheating or forgery remains available. A lawyer will tell you which route is faster for your land.
Where can NRIs get extra help?
Some states run dedicated desks for people living abroad. They are useful for follow-up when you cannot visit offices yourself.
- Punjab: the Punjab Police NRI wing and NRI police stations take complaints from NRIs, and the Punjab State Commission for NRIs hears NRI grievances. Our Punjab land protection guide has more.
- Kerala: NORKA Roots runs a Pravasi Legal Aid Cell, and the Non Resident Indians' (Keralites) Commission takes complaints online.
- Andhra Pradesh: APNRTS advertises an AP Police NRI cell for issues including land disputes.
- Goa: the Commission for NRI Affairs (nri.goa.gov.in) is a separate office for Goans abroad.
Our country guides cover time zones and document attestation for NRIs in the USA, UK, Canada, the Gulf and elsewhere.
What should your complaint include?
Short, factual and complete. Officers act faster on a complaint they can read in two minutes.
- Your name, contact details and that you live abroad
- The land: state, district, tehsil, village, khasra or survey number, area
- Your basis of ownership: deed, inheritance or record entry, with copies
- What happened, with dates: when you learned, what changed, who is involved if known
- Evidence: dated photos, satellite images, the land record before and after
- What you are asking for: register the complaint, stop construction, demarcation, a copy of the FIR
If someone is physically on the land, the encroachment action plan and our guide on what to do if your land is encroached take you through the first 30 days. If the grab started with forged papers, see NRI property fraud. If the occupier is a relative, the route is different; see illegal possession by relatives.
How do you make your evidence hard to argue with?
Dates. Most land-grabbing cases turn on when the change happened and whether you objected. Dated satellite images show the land before and after, and nobody can backdate them. Timing also matters in law: read about the 12-year adverse possession rule.
PlotPehra's Land History Report shows what happened on your plot over up to 10 years, from satellite images, as a PDF made by our team. It gives your lawyer and the police a clear timeline.
This is general information, not legal advice. Laws and portals change, so confirm the current route with a local property lawyer in the district where the land is.
Questions people ask
File a written complaint at the police station for the area, ask the tehsildar or revenue officer for certified records and demarcation, and speak to a local property lawyer about a civil suit for possession and an injunction. A CM grievance portal can help push a slow office.
Many states let you file a complaint online. Under the BNSS, a complaint sent electronically is taken on record once the person giving it signs it within three days, so you may need a representative or a later visit to sign. Check your state police website for its e-complaint service.
Send the substance of the complaint in writing by post to the Superintendent of Police. If that does not work, you can apply to the magistrate with an affidavit, who can order an investigation. A lawyer can do this for you.
Not by itself. Grievance portals forward your complaint to the officer concerned and track it, which can unblock a stalled demarcation or police action. Who owns or possesses the land is decided by revenue officers and courts.
In some states. Punjab has an NRI wing in its police and NRI police stations, plus the Punjab State Commission for NRIs. Andhra Pradesh's APNRTS advertises a police NRI cell. Kerala has NORKA Roots, with a legal aid cell for emigrants, and an NRI Commission.
About the PlotPehra Land Desk
Our team reviews satellite and land-record changes on NRI-owned land across India, and writes these guides from the questions families ask us. We’re not lawyers — for legal decisions, always speak to a local property lawyer. More about us · How we research our guides.
