Land Fraud in Patna: 8 Common Property Scams and How to Avoid Them

8 common land frauds in Patna at a glance

1. Fake owner: confirm the seller really owns the land

Someone sells land in the real owner's name, sometimes with a fake ID. The real owner often lives outside Bihar, is elderly, or simply doesn't know.

• Open the jamabandi yourself on biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in ("जमाबंदी पंजी देखें"). Match the raiyat's name, father's or husband's name and address with the seller's ID. A screenshot from the seller proves nothing. How: check jamabandi online.
• Meet the owner at their own home, and ask neighbours who uses the land.
• Ask how the seller got it. See their sale deed and mutation, and get a Certified Copy of that deed from e-Nibandhan to compare.

2. The same land sold twice

The first buyer skipped mutation, so the jamabandi still shows the seller, who sells again. Two checks catch it:

1. Encumbrance Certificate on enibandhan.bihar.gov.in: registered transactions on that land over a period. Another deed for the khesra after the seller's own purchase? Stop. Details: encumbrance certificate guide.
2. Mutation applications on that plot: Bihar Bhumi's "दाखिल-खारिज आवेदन स्थिति देखें" lists every mutation application filed on a khesra in a chosen financial year. Check the last 2–3 years. Guide: dakhil-kharij online.

3. Ancestral land sold without the other heirs

The jamabandi of ancestral land often still runs in a grandfather's name. One heir sells the whole plot. Later the other heirs challenge it, and the buyer is stuck in court for years.

• Ask for the vanshavali and check whose name the jamabandi is in.
• Every co-owner must sign the deed or have given up their share by a registered document. Never rely on "uncle will sign later".

More: ancestral land partition in Patna.

4. A forged or cancelled power of attorney

Land of owners living outside Bihar is often sold by POA. It may be forged or revoked, or the owner may have died.

• The POA must be registered and clearly give the power to sell. Compare it with its certified copy from e-Nibandhan.
• Speak to the owner yourself on a phone or video call, and confirm the POA is still in force. Better still, have the owner sign the deed directly.

More: power of attorney in Bihar.

5. Prohibited land: registration barred

Some land can't be registered by government order, and brokers hide it. On e-Nibandhan, "View Prohibited Properties" shows which land in a village is barred. It also shows the type of bar and whether it is still active.

6. Mortgaged land sold with the loan hidden

A bank's claim can survive the sale. Bihar Bhumi's encumbrance search shows, without login, a mortgage recorded against a computerised jamabandi number. It only shows mortgages recorded online. So take a written declaration from the seller too. If a loan is running, get the bank's closure letter (NOC) before the deed.

7. One plot on paper, another on the ground

Common in new colonies: you are shown a roadside plot, but the deed is for a khesra at the back. Records use the khesra, not the colony's "plot number".

• Pull up the khesra and its LPM report on Bhu-Naksha, and match neighbouring khesras, road and drains on site: Bhu-Naksha guide.
• For an expensive plot, get a government amin survey (e-Mapi). Khata vs khesra vs plot number: explained here.

8. Token money scams and online fraud

"Pay the token today or another party takes it" is the biggest warning sign. So is a UPI "booking amount" for a cheap online plot.

• Until every check is done, pay only a small token, by bank, into the account of the owner in the jamabandi, never the broker's.
• Sign an agreement that refunds the token if the papers are defective.
• Cheated through an online payment? Call 1930 at once or file on cybercrime.gov.in. The sooner, the better.

Builder flats and plotted projects need a RERA check too: flat buying checklist.

After you buy: watch your jamabandi

A stranger may file a mutation to move your land into their name. A jamabandi changes only through mutation (or a Parimarjan Plus correction), so watch for both:

1. Turn on the SMS alert on Bihar Bhumi ("SMS अलर्ट सेवा प्राप्त करें"). You get an SMS when any mutation or Parimarjan Plus application on your khesra starts and when it finishes. Click-by-click steps: collapsed box at the bottom.
2. Get Aadhaar and the right mobile linked to your jamabandi through the revenue karmachari or circle office. Check under "Check AADHAAR / Mobile Seeding Status".
3. Check it yourself once or twice a year: the jamabandi register and mutation status for your khesra.

Someone filed a mutation on your land? Object online

The Revenue Department's FAQ says the circle officer issues notices before ordering a mutation and waits 14 days for objections. File within that window:

1. On Bihar Bhumi click "दाखिल-खारिज वाद पर आपत्ति दर्ज करें" and log in with your mobile number.
2. Choose district and circle, enter the mutation case number and year, click Next, then "File Objection".
3. Write your objection, attach PDFs of your papers (deed, jamabandi, rent receipt), click Proceed, enter the OTP and Submit.

The circle officer can't decide without hearing you; the date comes by SMS and notice. Order against you? Appeal to the DCLR within 30 days.

Where to complain about land fraud in Patna

Which law fits is best decided with a lawyer.

What should you do? (our advice)

• A cheap deal plus pressure to hurry means something is hidden. Good land in Patna doesn't have to be sold "today".
• Do every check yourself on the government portals, never from screenshots.
• Pay only by bank, to the owner in the jamabandi; never large cash.
• Right after registry, apply for mutation (within 90 days) and switch on the SMS alert. That closes the door on a second sale.
• Living outside Bihar? Get an independent check from someone who earns no commission on the deal.
• Full checklist: Patna plot buying guide. All records: Bihar land records online.

Land fraud in Patna: FAQs

1. Can I lock my jamabandi so nobody can sell my land?

   No. The Revenue Department's FAQ says there is no provision to lock a jamabandi against mutation. Your protection is the SMS alert, Aadhaar and mobile linked to the jamabandi, and a timely objection.

2. Registration is open in my village. Does that mean I can build?

   Not always. In the villages of the Patliputra satellite township near Patna, registration continues but construction is barred. See registry open, construction ban and the village list.

3. What is the Saturday meeting at the police station?

   Per a Revenue Department notice, every circle in Bihar holds a joint meeting each Saturday at the police station. The circle officer and station house officer attend. Apply there if someone is extorting money over your land or occupying it illegally. Also apply to get a court's or officer's order enforced.

4. How fast is a land dispute decided under the Bihar Land Disputes Resolution Act?

   The department says the 2009 Act was brought in for summary disposal of such disputes within 90 days. The DCLR decides, and an appeal against the DCLR's order lies to the Commissioner within 30 days.