The Land mafia in Dehli has starting targeting the NRI’s properties, whose absense is usually long and they have taken advantage of this situation and grabbing their land illegally and selling it off at astronomical prices, sometimes even taking huge loans on properties and putting the original land owner into litigation with the banks.
There were four cases where the police were investigating recently where the cases are branded as land grabbing. The Delhi police say that the land mafia have formed a complex web including government and bank officials to keep a tab on the people who rarely visit their properties in India. The statistics available with the police show that their are atleast 14 cases reported in the last 3 years alone in delhi, and many unreported for the reason that the people may not know if they have been cheated. Most of the cases are reported in upmarket south delhi. The mafia have gone to the extent of creating GPA in favour of some property dealers of their choice with paying huge stamp duty and in turn sell off the properties or take huge loans on the properties where the documents are forged. It is certain that this things might have happened elsewhere in India, as the state governments all over India have started investigating illegal occupation of government land, but they have no way to check private land as long as somebody complains about the problems they have.
NRI’s have been advised to check this following even elsewhere in India too, where this may happen or it might have happened. These step may protect your property.
- 1.Put up the compound wall immediately if you people have a plot of land. The compound wall should have a gate for access with the lock and key.
- 2.Put up a board with your/your relatives telephone number saying that you are the owner of the land and the property is not for sale.
- 3.Just see that now and than somebody visits your property and see to it that nobody has taken possession of land illegally.
- 4.Once in a year apply for Encumbarance Certificate with the sub-registers office to check any disparceny with the property.
- 5.Pay the property tax every year so that you will know their also if their is any problem.
- 6.If you have the resources just develop the land and rent out the property, that too just for 11 months agreements only and extendable.
