A buyer purchases land through a registered deed, applies for mutation years later, and receives a rejection notice: the jamabandi mentioned in the deed still exists, but its land has gone to new jamabandis after a family partition. This is a common problem in Bihar. This guide explains in simple words why it happens, how to find where your plot went, and what you can do.
First, learn these words
- Jamabandi: the government register entry that shows whose name the land is in.
- Register-II: the paper jamabandi register kept at the circle office. The online jamabandi is copied from it, and shows its "Bhag" (volume) and "Prishth" (page).
- Jamabandi split (batwara): when the land of one holder is divided among heirs or co-sharers, the old jamabandi is closed or reduced and new jamabandis are opened in their names.
- Khata and Khesra: the numbers that identify a holding and a plot.
Why the mutation is rejected
- The deed names the old jamabandi of the seller or the seller's father.
- Before the buyer applied, that land was moved to new jamabandis in the names of the heirs.
- The circle office finds no land left in the old jamabandi from which the buyer's share can be deducted, and rejects the petition.
The rejection is about the record. It does not decide who owns the land.
How to find where your plot went
- Search by khata: open https://emutation.bihar.gov.in/biharBhumireport/ViewJamabandi.aspx, choose the district, circle and mauza, and search by khata number. Open every jamabandi in the list and look at the plot column for your plot number and its area.
- Search by name: on the same page, search by the names of the sellers and their father. This shows the new jamabandis made after the split.
- See the history: on the jamabandi page, click "जमाबंदी में किये गए बदलाव का विवरण" to see when and by which case the jamabandi changed.
- See all sales of the plot: use the plot registration link on the jamabandi page, or the advance search on https://enibandhan.bihar.gov.in. If the online search shows nothing, apply at the registry office for inspection and certified copies of the registers (Registration Act, 1908, Section 57).
- See the map: check the plot and its neighbours on https://bhunaksha.bihar.gov.in/ and match them with the boundaries in your deed.
- Get the paper record: ask the circle office for certified copies of the Register-II page, the order in the partition case, and the karmachari's report in your mutation case. Certified copies are issued at Rs 10 per page within 7 working days (Rule 18 of the Bihar Land Mutation Rules, 2012).
What a "0" area or a blank plot column means
In the online jamabandi, a line may show the khata with no plot number and an area of 0. This can mean either of two things:
- the land was there but has been deducted after it was transferred and mutated to someone else; or
- the plot was missed when the paper register was put online.
Only the paper Register-II shows which is true, because it records each deduction with the case number.
What you can do
- Your plot is in a seller's new jamabandi: file a fresh mutation petition naming the correct jamabandi, with the deed and the partition order, and a petition for condonation of delay in Form-IAA if more than 90 days have passed (Rule 3(1A)). An appeal to the DCLR lies within 30 days of a rejection order, and delay can be condoned for sufficient reason (Rule 11).
- The online record is wrong: the jamabandi can be corrected through Parimarjan Plus, with the certified Register-II copy.
- Your plot is recorded in another buyer's name: this is a dispute about ownership. Revenue officers do not decide title; it is decided by the civil court. Under Section 48 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, where the same person transfers the same property twice, the later transfer is subject to the earlier one.
- Revenue court cases can be tracked on https://biharbhumi.bihar.gov.in/Biharbhumi/RCMS/RCMSDefault.aspx.
An example
This is an imaginary example to explain the steps; it is not a real case.
Meena bought 20 decimals of plot 500 from three brothers in 2013. The deed named their father's jamabandi. She applied for mutation in 2022, and it was rejected: the father's land had been divided into four new jamabandis in 2018.
- She searched the four new jamabandis and found that plot 500 was not in any of them. The partition had been made on the online record, where plot 500 was missing.
- She searched by khata and found plot 500 in the names of two other people.
- She took certified copies of the Register-II page and the 2018 partition order, and a search of the registry records for plot 500.
- Her deed was earlier than the other sales, so she was advised to file a civil suit for declaration of her title instead of only appealing the mutation order.
Do not wait
An appeal to the DCLR lies within 30 days of the rejection order. A civil suit also has a time limit under the law of limitation, which depends on the facts. Collect the papers and take advice as soon as you receive a rejection notice.
Frequently asked questions
Why was my mutation rejected when my deed is registered?
Mutation updates the revenue record from an existing jamabandi. If the land in the jamabandi named in your deed has already moved to new jamabandis, the circle office finds nothing to deduct. The rejection is about the record, not your ownership.
How do I find which jamabandi my plot is in now?
Search by khata number and by the sellers' names on the View Jamabandi page, open each result and look at the plot column. For the full history, take a certified copy of the Register-II page from the circle office.
The online jamabandi shows my khata with 0 area. Is my land gone?
Not necessarily. It may have been deducted after a transfer, or the plot may have been missed when the record was put online. The paper Register-II shows which.
Can a family partition after my purchase take away my land?
The sellers could not divide what they had already sold. Where the same person transfers the same property twice, the later transfer is subject to the earlier one (Transfer of Property Act, Section 48). A dispute over title is decided by the civil court.
How much time do I have?
An appeal to the DCLR lies within 30 days of the rejection order, with condonation of delay for sufficient reason (Rule 11). Civil remedies also have time limits; take advice early.
This article is general information and is not legal advice or solicitation, in accordance with the rules of the Bar Council of India. Every case depends on its own papers; consult an advocate about your matter.
Related on this site: How to get mutation done · Mutation Appeal to the DCLR · Jamabandi correction through Parimarjan · Mutation & Land Records
Official sources (links checked 5 November 2026): Bihar Land Mutation Rules, 2012 (LBSNAA) · Transfer of Property Act, 1882 · Registration Act, 1908 · View Jamabandi · eNibandhan · Parimarjan Plus · Bhu-Naksha · RCMS
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