To prevent fraud in land purchase and sale, the Registry Department has introduced a new rule. Now, during every registration process, both the buyer and the seller will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on their mobile numbers for verification. In addition, for the registration of agricultural land, it will be mandatory to provide the village code and the Khatauni (land record). This measure aims to eliminate fake names, forged documents, and fraudulent practices.
Under the revised rule, every party involved in land transactions will receive an OTP on their mobile number. The document process will proceed only after entering this OTP. This ensures that no registration can be completed without genuine consent or with forged papers. In addition, for agricultural land deals, it has been made compulsory to enter the village code and Khatauni number in the records. These two factors will help identify the land and ensure the authenticity of documents.
This new system will be implemented particularly in districts where there are frequent complaints of fraud or confusion related to Khatauni (land ownership) documents. Currently, about 5 million registrations take place every year in Uttar Pradesh. A large number of these have been found to involve fake names, forged PAN/Aadhaar details, or repeated use of the same person’s details.
Modus Operandi of Fraud
Recently, a gang was caught that had tampered with over 1,500 Aadhaar cards, names, addresses, and dates of birth. They were using fake documents such as birth certificates and ration cards to make biometric changes in Aadhaar. Thus, the person actually conducting the registration was different from the one in whose name the land was registered. This method was also being used to launder large amounts of black money.
Verification Process
- Mobile numbers of all buyers and sellers involved in land transactions will be verified through OTP.
- The buyer’s PAN card validity will be checked instantly. For this, the PAN card is cross-verified with NSDL’s website.
- In the case of agricultural land, verification is done through the village code, and details of the Khatauni must be pre-registered.
