Property fraud in Delhi often hides behind paperwork that looks official, reads well, and carries stamps and signatures. This guide shows you—step by step—how to spot a forged sale deed, verify what’s genuine, and take the correct civil and criminal actions to cancel the instrument and protect possession. It is written for owners and buyers who need a precise, court-ready path rather than generic advice.
Fast, on-the-spot checks to spot a forged sale deed (Delhi)
1. Confirm that the deed actually exists in government records.
- Run an online Delhi property registration e-search by name, address, or registration number and year. If the deed is genuine, an entry should surface in the official index. Absence or mismatched particulars is a red flag.
- Note that Delhi has migrated registration services to NGDRS. Registered deeds can be viewed by citizens after login; use this to corroborate the basic metadata of the instrument and the sub-registrar office shown on the paper deed.
2. Verify the e-stamp certificate.
- Every valid SHCIL e-stamp has a UIN/QR that you can check via SHCIL’s official e-Stamp channels or the Android app; the verification screen returns the certificate number, amount, and document purpose. If the QR/UIN does not validate, treat the deed as suspect.
3. Pull a certified copy from the Sub-Registrar.
- Ask for a certified copy of the impugned deed under Section 57 of the Registration Act, 1908. Delhi’s DORIS “B-Book” module accepts requests and appointments; certified copies are issued with seal and are admissible to prove contents. Mismatches between the certified copy and the paper in your hand are strong proof of fabrication.
4. Cross-check the registrar’s particulars.
- Match the Sub-Registrar office, book and volume/page, registration number, date, duty paid, and presenter details on the paper deed with what appears in e-search/NGDRS and the certified copy. Any inconsistency in SR code, book number, pagination, or endorsement format is a tell.
5. Quick physical red flags
- Tampered e-stamp: smudged QR, altered face value, or cut-paste overlays around the UIN.
- Endorsements: missing final endorsement page, wrong fee narration, or atypical font/spacing in the “admitted to registration” endorsement compared to other deeds from the same SR office and month.
- Party IDs and photos: PAN/Aadhaar numbers that do not match party names across pages, witness details repeated from other deals, or passport-size photos pasted without the SR’s embossing mark.
- Chronology: stamp duty date after the registration date or a stamp purchased for a different instrument type.
What to save as evidence
Screenshots/PDF from e-search/NGDRS, the SHCIL verification screen, and the certified copy. Maintain a simple comparison table of fields that mismatch—this becomes your annexure set for both the civil suit and any FIR/EOW complaint you file later.
The legal framework you’ll rely on in Delhi
What amounts to a “forged sale deed”
A sale deed is “forged” when the execution or the document itself is fabricated: forged signatures, impersonation, use of fake IDs, or a deed executed by someone with no authority. Civil courts examine proof of signature/handwriting and the surrounding facts under the Indian Evidence Act—expert opinion may be taken (s.45), the court can rely on persons acquainted with the handwriting (s.47), and the judge may directly compare admitted and disputed signatures (s.73).
Civil remedies
Your primary civil reliefs are:
- Cancellation of instrument under Specific Relief Act s.31 where the deed causes serious injury if left outstanding. Pair this with a declaration of title under s.34 when appropriate.
- Temporary injunctions to maintain status quo (CPC Order 39) and, if needed, possession/mesne profits.
Limitation—when the clock starts
For suits to cancel or set aside an instrument, Article 59 of the Limitation Act prescribes three years from the date the plaintiff first had knowledge of the alleged fraud/forgery.
Where to file in Delhi—jurisdiction and forum
Delhi’s pecuniary split is simple: District Courts handle suits up to ₹2 crore; the Delhi High Court hears original civil suits above ₹2 crore. This flows from the Delhi High Court (Amendment) Act and related practice directions. Commercial suits have their own “specified value” rules, but for property/forgery disputes the ₹2 crore threshold generally decides your forum.
Registrars can’t cancel registered deeds
Neither the Sub-Registrar nor the Registrar has power under the Registration Act to cancel a registered sale deed—only a civil court can nullify it. Practically, this means you must sue; you can’t “apply” to the registry to erase a forged deed.
Certified copies and e-records
Inspection and certified copies of registered instruments are a statutory right under Registration Act s.57. In Delhi, certified copies and inspections are processed through DORIS B-Book/NGDRS. Use these copies as base exhibits in your plaint and for forensic comparison.
Court fees—executant vs non-executant
If you signed the deed that you now say is vitiated by fraud, you typically sue for cancellation and pay ad valorem court fee on the deed consideration. If you’re a non-executant seeking only a declaration that the deed is void/not binding and you’re in possession, a fixed court fee applies; if you also seek possession, valuation rules for declaratory suits with consequential relief kick in.
GPA/SA/WILL “sales” don’t convey title
Delhi has a long history of transactions dressed up as Agreement to Sell + GPA + Will. The Supreme Court in Suraj Lamp made it clear these instruments are not a mode of transfer of immovable property; only a registered conveyance passes title. This matters because many forgery cases piggyback on such paper trails.
Criminal exposure (often parallel to the civil suit)
Forgery-tainted conveyances routinely attract IPC 420, 467, 468, 471—cheating, forgery of valuable security/for purpose of cheating, and using a forged document as genuine. Parallel complaints commonly go to the local police or Delhi Police Economic Offences Wing in substantial property frauds. Use criminal proceedings to secure evidence and place offenders at risk of custodial investigation while your civil suit secures title.
Step-by-step action plan (Delhi): detect, secure proof, and challenge the forged sale deed
Step 1: Freeze the situation and start a paper trail
Write a short record of discovery: when and how you learnt of the alleged forgery, who told you, and what document you saw. This anchors Article 59 Limitation Act which gives three years from first knowledge for a suit to cancel an instrument. Keep emails, messages, screenshots.
Step 2: Verify existence and particulars in official registries
- Run an e-Search for the deed on the Delhi government portal. If the deed or its metadata does not appear or the particulars do not match, flag it.
- Note that Delhi has migrated registrations to NGDRS; use the Delhi NGDRS portal to corroborate the sub-registrar office, date, book, and registration number.
- If needed, create a citizen login on NGDRS to view available document details.
Step 3: Validate the e-stamp certificate
Scan the SHCIL e-Stamp QR or enter the UIN using the official mobile app on Android or iOS. A genuine certificate returns the exact purpose, value, and date. If it does not validate, treat the deed as suspect. Save the verification screen as evidence.
Step 4: Obtain a certified copy from the Sub-Registrar
Apply for a certified copy under Section 57 of the Registration Act, 1908. Certified copies of registered deeds are public documents; under Sections 76 and 77 of the Evidence Act, certified copies can be produced to prove contents. Compare the certified copy against the paper you were shown and log every mismatch.
Step 5: Secure biometric and presentation records
Delhi’s registration workflow uses biometrics and photographs at the Sub-Registrar office. Ask the SR office to confirm attendance logs for the date of registration and to preserve records pending court orders. This supports impersonation allegations.
Step 6: Build a clean evidence set for court
Create a single folder with: NGDRS or e-Search printouts, SHCIL verification screenshots, certified copy, your discovery note of dates, and IDs you can use as admitted signatures. Expert opinion on handwriting or thumb impressions is relevant under Evidence Act Sections 45 and 47, and courts may themselves compare signatures under Section 73.
Step 7: Choose the forum and valuation
In Delhi, District Courts entertain original civil suits up to ₹2 crore; the Delhi High Court has original civil jurisdiction above ₹2 crore under the Delhi High Court Amendment Act 2015. Value and court fee should be consistent with your pleadings.
Step 8: Draft the civil suit: declaration and cancellation
File a suit for declaration and cancellation under Section 31 Specific Relief Act, with prayers to declare the forged sale deed void and not binding, direct the registrar to note cancellation on its books, and restrain further transfers. Add a temporary injunction prayer under Order 39 CPC to preserve possession and stop alienation while the suit is pending.
Step 9: Plead limitation and fraud cleanly
Plead the date of knowledge with documents that show when you first discovered the forgery; courts apply Article 59 from that date. Cite and rely on Supreme Court guidance that suits to set aside sale deeds fall within Article 59 and that fraud may render transactions void ab initio.
Step 10: File a caveat when you expect a counter-move
If you anticipate the opposite side may seek interim orders, lodge a caveat under Section 148A CPC so you are heard before any ex parte injunction issues. Note the ninety-day life of a caveat.
Step 14: After you get interim relief
Serve the injunction order on the Sub-Registrar and any intermediary such as a broker or portal, and notify banks if the property is security for a loan. When you win final relief under Section 31 SRA, ensure the court’s decree is transmitted for notation in the registrar’s books as the statute requires.
Conclusion
A forged sale deed in Delhi isn’t beaten by outrage or lengthy correspondence. It is beaten by clean records, quick registry checks, tight pleadings, and timely action. Keep your file lean and deliberate. One chronology. One evidence binder. One coherent story that matches the registrar’s records.
If you follow this sequence—fake sale deed verification, documentary proof, suit for cancellation, interim protection, and targeted FIR—you give the court what it needs to act decisively, and you reduce the room for delay tactics. That is how you detect and challenge a forged sale deed in Delhi without losing time or control.
