A rising number of Nagpur residents are falling prey to a controversial legal provision that allows illegal occupants to seize land after 12 years of continuous possession. Meant to resolve rural land disputes, this outdated clause—Section 27 of the Limitation Act, 1963—is now being abused in cities, especially Nagpur, where many plots lie vacant for years.
At a recent Janta Darbar with Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, distressed citizens exposed how encroachers are weaponizing the “adverse possession” rule to claim others’ properties. “We’ve paid taxes and have all documents, yet the system sides with trespassers,” said Suman Deshmukh, a Ramdaspeth resident battling a forged claim on her family land.
Cases are emerging where trusted caretakers, tenants, even relatives, have quietly built fake ownership trails using bogus ration cards, utility bills, and voter IDs. “My uncle was managing our land while we worked abroad. Now he claims he owns it,” said Amit Patil from Byramji Town.
Once 12 years pass without legal challenge, encroachers can claim a patta, get their names on the 7/12 extract, and push the real owner into lengthy, often futile court battles.
Experts warn: don’t wait. Fence your land, display ownership, file taxes, and legally challenge any illegal stay immediately. “Silence is surrender,” says advocate Smita Kale, who’s handling multiple such cases.
As property values rise, Nagpur’s landowners aren’t just fighting land mafias—they’re fighting a ticking clock and a flawed law.
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