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Property forgery cases in Delhi usually surface in painfully ordinary ways: a surprise “buyer” turns up with a registered sale deed you never signed, a forged power of attorney gets waved at the sub-registrar, or a will appears out of nowhere to rewrite ownership. Under India’s new criminal law architecture (the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 for offences and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 for procedure), forging property-linked documents can trigger serious cognizable offences—ranging from basic forgery to forgery of public records and forgery of valuable security or will—often coupled with “using a forged document as genuine”.

This guide is Delhi-specific. It explains, in clear steps, how to file an FIR for property document forgery in Delhi, what to carry, which police unit may handle complex land/building rackets (hint: the Economic Offences Wing, Mandir Marg), how Zero FIR works if your nearest station isn’t the one with territorial jurisdiction, and the timelines you can realistically expect under the BNSS—like the 14-day outer limit for a preliminary inquiry in certain 3–7 year offences and the 60/90-day outer bands relevant to charge-sheet timing in custody cases.

Two practical anchors keep this actionable in Delhi: 

(1) Use the Delhi Police CCTNS/Citizen Services to track or view a registered FIR and 

(2) Pull certified copies or search entries of the suspect deed via Delhi’s DORIS/e-Search so the police can compare signatures, stamps, and registration metadata. These official channels help you corroborate forgery claims quickly and cleanly.

If you’re facing property forgery in Delhi, your immediate objective is simple: get a well-particularised FIR registered fast, with annexed title papers and certified extracts. Everything that follows—seizure of impugned records from the Sub-Registrar, forensic comparison, statements of attesting witnesses, and, where appropriate, transfer to the EOW (Anti Land & Building Racket)—moves faster when the first report is precise and document-backed.

I. What exactly counts as “property forgery” (and the BNS sections that fit)

When a forged deed, will, GPA, agreement to sell, or mutation paper touches immovable property in Delhi, you’re squarely in Chapter 18 (Offences relating to documents) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS). Four clusters matter:

1. Making a false document = “forgery” (the base offence).

BNS treats the act of creating or altering a document/e-record with the intent to deceive as forgery. This is the foundation you build on before you match the right aggravated section. See the statutory illustrations of “making a false document” under BNS.

2. Aggravated forgery when public records or property/finance instruments are involved.

  • BNS Section 337 targets forgery of a record of a Court or public register—think entries maintained by Sub-Registrar offices, municipal registries, etc.
  • BNS Section 338 hits forgery of valuable security, will, etc.—this is the workhorse in property disputes: forged wills, GPAs, receipts, authority to transfer, instruments affecting property or money. Punishment can run up to ten years (even life in specified cases) plus fine.

3. Possession and use of forged papers.

  • BNS Section 339 criminalises possession of forged documents described in Sections 337/338 with intent to use them as genuine—useful where the rival side is “brandishing” papers.
  • BNS Section 340 (heading: forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine) does two things: (i) defines a “forged document,” and (ii) punishes anyone who uses a forged document as genuine in the same manner as the forger. This is the modern successor to IPC Section 471.
    Counterfeit seals and allied offences (often travel with land scams).

4. Counterfeit seals and allied offences (often travel with land scams)

If the stamp/seal/signature impression is faked to pass off a deed as registered or official, BNS Section 341–Section 343 may be invoked (counterfeit seal/mark; fraudulent destruction/cancellation of a will or valuable security). These sit alongside Sections 337–340 in the same chapter.

II. Immediate evidence to collect in Delhi (DORIS/e-Search prints, certified copies, and how to package annexures for an FIR)

  A. Pull the registered-records trail (Delhi’s official portals)

  • Use Delhi’s DORIS / e-Search to locate the impugned instrument (sale deed, GPA, Will, PoA, etc.) by name, property address, or registration year. Take printouts/screenshots of the search hits and the document meta (Sub-Registrar office, book/volume, registration no., date). These help the police identify the exact volume/folio for seizure.
  • Book an appointment for certified copies or record inspection of the contested document. Certified copies carry evidentiary heft; DORIS shows that certified copies are processed against the Service Level Agreement (SLA)—plan your timeline accordingly and attach the acknowledgment/receipt to your FIR set.
  • Delhi’s Revenue pages explain official search options and point back to doris.delhigovt.nic.in. Print the relevant page snippet to show you’ve sourced data from the official registry.
  • After filing, you (and later, your lawyer) can view/track the FIR via Delhi Police CCTNS / “View FIR” pages. Keep the URL handy in your complaint covering-letter.
    Build a clean “Annexure Pack” (what to include—and why)

  B. Build a clean “Annexure Pack” (what to include—and why)

  • Annexure A (Ownership & chain): 

your title chain (prior sale deed/Conveyance, allotment/lease-cum-conveyance, DDA/authority papers), mutation/tax receipts, and ID/address proof. If available, add society/allottee letters and possession proofs (electricity/water/property-tax). These establish standing and the legitimate chain the forged paper disrupts. (Use DORIS to print earlier deeds’ references; seek certified copies via B-Book if you don’t have them.)

  • Annexure B (The impugned instrument):

    • DORIS search printouts showing registration particulars;
    • Certified copy request/appointment receipt (and the copy itself when issued);
    • Any private copy the opposite side has circulated. This is the heart of your FIR. 
  • Annexure C (Signature/specimen comparisons): 

prior bank KYC signatures, earlier registered deeds bearing your genuine signature, and any notarised affidavits you’ve executed. This cues the SHO to send both sets to FSL for handwriting/signature opinion (you don’t need the opinion now; you just make it easy to get one).

  • Annexure D (Registrar metadata & seizure leads): 

Sub-Registrar office code, book/volume/page, date/time of registration, names/addresses of attesting witnesses, and the deed writer if visible in the certified copy. This tells the IO exactly what to seize and whom to examine first. (Most of this flows from the DORIS record and certified copy).

  • Annexure E (Digital/communications trail):

emails/WhatsApp where the forged document was shared or threatened to be used, broker messages, or listing screenshots. These support “use of a forged document as genuine”—often charged alongside the core forgery count under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. For reference on aggravated forgery (e.g., will/valuable security), keep a printout of BNS Section 338 handy in your file.

C. If the nearest PS isn’t the territorial one (Zero FIR)

If you need to move fast but aren’t near the concerned police station, ask the duty officer to register a Zero FIR and transfer it to the correct PS. Several police SOPs post-BNSS reiterate Zero-FIR admission and 14-day preliminary-enquiry timelines (where BNSS permits enquiry for 3–7 year offences). Keep a print of such SOP excerpts in your file; it helps on the ground.

III. Where and how to file the complaint/FIR in Delhi (PS vs. Zero FIR, e-options, and what to say at the counter)

  A. Pick the right police station (and know your fallbacks)

  • Go to the police station with territorial jurisdiction—where the forged deed was created/registered, used, or where its effects are felt (your property). Ask the duty officer to register an FIR under BNSS Section 173(1) (the BNSS successor to CrPC Section 154).

B. Zero FIR if you’re at the “wrong” station (or need speed)

  • If you’re not near the concerned PS, ask for a Zero FIR—the FIR is registered first and then transferred to the correct PS. The Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD) has issued a standard SOP for Zero FIR/e-FIR under the new criminal-law regime—carrying a copy or citing it helps on the ground.

  C. Online & e-options—what Delhi does (and does not) allow

  • CCTNS Delhi (Citizen Services): You can lodge an online complaint and later track/view an FIR once it is registered. Use Complaint Lodging (for initial intimation) and View FIR to download a registered FIR by number/date if it’s in the public-viewable category. This is not a substitute for in-person FIR registration for forgery, but it creates a digital trail.
  • e-FIR in Delhi is limited: Delhi Police presently enables e-FIR for motor-vehicle theft and specific property theft categories. Forgery of property documents is not in the e-FIR list, so plan for an in-person FIR (or Zero FIR) with your annexure pack.
  • e-Zero FIR (pilot) is for high-value cyber-fraud, not property forgery. It auto-converts qualifying cyber complaints (≥ ₹10 lakh) into FIRs via the NCRP/1930 helpline. Useful to know, but not your route for deed/GPA/will forgery.

  D. Investigation-stage timelines you should know (to keep things moving)

  • Preliminary enquiry (if invoked): complete within 14 days. Ask for a diary entry noting the decision (FIR vs. closure).
  • Charge-sheet clock while in custody: 60 days for offences punishable < 10 years; 90 days where punishable with ≥ 10 years / life / death. These BNSS time-bands mirror the CrPC framework, now restated (see BPRD note on BNSS §193(3)(i)).

IV. Timelines after the FIR in Delhi (what happens when) + how to keep the file moving

  A. Right after registration (Day 0–1)

Get the FIR number and a copy and immediately start online tracking via Delhi Police CCTNS (Citizen Services → View FIR / Complaint Status). Keep screenshots of status updates; they help with follow-ups.

  B. First week: early investigation steps you can expect (Day 1–7)

The IO should: (i) record statements (BNSS equivalent of 161), (ii) lift the Sub-Registrar’s volume/folio or certified extracts for comparison, (iii) secure attesting witnesses/deed writer details from the certified copy, and (iv) start forensic routing (specimen signatures + questioned document to FSL). If originals are with the other side, expect a notice to produce; if needed, seizure follows.

  C. If police invoke a preliminary enquiry (rare but possible): 14-day outer limit

Under the new SOPs aligned to BNSS, a preliminary enquiry must close within 14 days. If your facts already disclose a cognizable offence (as property forgery usually does), ask the duty officer/IO to diary the decision within the 14-day cap.

  D. Certified copies & registry records (Day 1–30)

Use DORIS → B-BOOK for certified copies/inspection. Delhi’s portal itself flags the SLA: certified copy within 30 days—attach your receipt to your case diary/representation so the IO aligns forensic timelines to when the copy lands.

  E. 0–90 days: progress updates you can demand

BNSS Section 193(3)(ii) requires the police to update the informant/victim on investigation progress within 90 days. If the file goes quiet, write a short note to the SHO/ACP referencing §193(3)(ii) and attach your CCTNS screenshot.

  F. Charge-sheet clocks (custody-linked): 60-day / 90-day bands

Where an accused is in custody, BNSS preserves the familiar default-bail clocks: broadly, 60 days for “other offences” and 90 days for serious categories (≥10-year/life/death); after expiry, an accused may seek default bail. Practically, it nudges police to file the police report (charge-sheet) within those bands when custody is involved. As a complainant, use these bands as escalation guardrails in representations.

  G. After filing the charge-sheet: court-stage timing to note

Post-filing, Magistrates are expected to frame charge within ~60 days of document supply (part of the BNSS/BPRD timeline matrix). Mark this in your calendar; if the matter drifts, a short, polite mention helps.

FAQs

1) Can I lodge an FIR for property forgery online in Delhi?

Not directly. Delhi’s e-FIR is enabled for motor-vehicle theft and a narrow band of property thefts, not for document/registry forgery. Use your territorial police station or ask for a Zero FIR and transfer; then track the case online via CCTNS (View FIR / Complaint Status).

2) What is a Zero FIR and when should I use it?

A Zero FIR is registered at any police station first and transferred later to the station with jurisdiction—useful when speed matters or you aren’t near the correct PS. The BNSS §173 regime and BPRD’s Zero FIR & e-FIR SOP formally recognise it. Carry your annexures and ask for Zero FIR if the counter says “not our jurisdiction.”

3) How do I prove the document is “real” in the registry before alleging forgery?

Use Delhi’s official property-records stack: DORIS e-Search to locate entries (by name/address/year) and DORIS-BBOOK to book certified copies/inspection. The B-Book portal itself notes an SLA of 30 days for certified copies—attach the receipt to your FIR set.

4) Which Delhi Police unit handles land/building fraud patterns?

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) at PS Mandir Marg Complex (Special CP/EOW office) handles complex land/building scams. File at your PS first, then seek a transfer to EOW with a short representation.

5) Is there a time cap for a preliminary enquiry under the new law?

Yes. BNSS-aligned SOPs fix an outer limit of 14 days to conclude any preliminary enquiry (with diary entries). If the facts show cognizable offences (as property forgery usually does), press for FIR registration within that window.

Conclusion

In Delhi, the fastest way to stop a forged deed, will, or GPA from snowballing is to treat it as a criminal law problem first and move with documents, not just suspicion. 

Handled this way, filing an FIR for property forgery in Delhi becomes a disciplined, document-led process—not a waiting game. You control momentum, evidence lands where it should, and the investigation has a clear trajectory from Day 1.