No. Squatting—occupying an abandoned or unclaimed property without legal title—is illegal in India under civil and criminal laws. Unauthorized possession risks eviction under the Specific Relief Act, 1963, and criminal trespass charges under the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Municipal bodies like the Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957, and state-level tenancy laws further prohibit squatting, with recent 2026 amendments tightening penalties for encroachments on public or private land.
Key Regulations for Squatting in India
- Specific Relief Act, 1963 (Section 6): Bars recovery of immovable property from a person in “adverse possession” unless the claimant proves prior title, making squatting legally untenable.
- Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Sections 441–448): Classifies unauthorized occupation as criminal trespass, punishable with imprisonment up to 3 months or fines, enforceable by local police under state directives.
- State-Specific Encroachment Laws: Acts like Maharashtra’s Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 (Section 245) and Karnataka’s Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 (Section 109) empower revenue authorities to evict squatters within 30 days of notice, with 2026 amendments accelerating digital tracking of encroachments via GIS mapping.
Local bodies such as the Mumbai Municipal Corporation and Bengaluru’s Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) now deploy drones and satellite imagery to detect squatting, aligning with 2026 Smart Cities Mission compliance standards. Courts routinely reject squatters’ claims under adverse possession (Section 27 of the Limitation Act, 1963), requiring 12+ years of continuous, uninterrupted occupation with clear title disputes.