Woman Declared Dead by Relatives in Property Grab Appears Before District Magistrate in India to Prove She’s Alive

Declared dead for land, Sharda Devi, the only child of her late father, 'I'm alive' paper at government office

In a startling case of alleged property fraud, a woman in Uttar Pradesh, India, appeared before the Ballia District Magistrate carrying a handwritten sign reading “Sahab, I am alive” to prove she is not dead, as falsely claimed by her relatives. The woman, identified as Sharda Devi, accused her cousins of declaring her deceased in official records to illegally usurp her inheritance.

According to Sharda Devi, the only daughter of her late father, her father had legally willed all his property to her before his death. The will was initially honoured, and the land and property were lawfully mutated in her name. However, she alleged that the sons of her father’s elder brother later manipulated official records and falsely declared her dead. This forged declaration enabled them to transfer the property to themselves.

Sharda Devi stated that after the fraudulent mutation, she attempted to rectify the situation through local administrative channels but was met with repeated failure. Facing bureaucratic hurdles, she escalated the matter by directly appealing to District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar.

Holding up her handwritten plea to the media and officials outside the DM’s office, she said, “I am alive, and yet I have been declared dead just to take away what is mine.”

District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar confirmed receiving the complaint and said Sharda Devi had presented documents indicating that the original property mutation was correctly done in her name based on her father's will. He further revealed that the revised mutation was allegedly secured using a falsified death certificate.

Taking serious note of the allegations, the DM has ordered the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) to conduct a full inquiry and submit a report within seven days. He assured that if the investigation confirms the misuse of a fake death certificate, legal action will be taken against all responsible parties, including government officials who may have facilitated the fraudulent documentation.

A criminal case will also be registered against the accused for their involvement in the illegal transfer of property based on forged documents.

The case has sparked widespread concern over rising instances of property fraud through impersonation and misuse of government records in rural India.