MUMBAI: In a significant policy shift aimed at insulating grassroots administrators from intimidation, the Maharashtra government has directed law enforcement agencies across the state to secure prior approval from the Inspector General of Registration (IGR) and Controller of Stamps before registering a First Information Report (FIR) against any registration officer for actions taken in the line of duty. The directive, communicated by the revenue department via an official circular, follows a high-level meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The primary objective of the protocol is to prevent the “unnecessary harassment” of officials and ensure that routine government operations are not paralyzed by criminal cases initiated solely on the basis of aggrieved complaints.
The Pune Incident
The policy intervention was catalyzed by a volatile incident in Pune’s Ambegaon area. An officiating sub-registrar was allegedly assaulted and subjected to hours of police questioning after refusing to register a property document because its mandatory non-agricultural (NA) status verification was pending.
The incident sent shockwaves through the revenue department, triggering widespread outrage among personnel. Employee unions strongly protested the breach of safety and threatened a statewide strike unless the administration provided robust legal safeguards to protect workers from coercive criminal action while performing official duties.
Statutory Protection and Vetting Mechanism
Defending the state’s decision, Inspector General of Registration and Stamps Rajendra Muthe emphasized that registration personnel execute vital statutory and quasi-judicial functions under the Registration Act of 1908 and the Maharashtra Stamp Act.
“Government officials should not face unnecessary harassment for performing their official responsibilities. This approval mechanism ensures that protection,” Muthe stated. Under the newly enforced standard operating procedure, no criminal case pertaining to official acts can be registered against a registration officer without the explicit “green light” from the IGR and Controller of Stamps in Pune. The revenue department has urged strict compliance across all police commissionerates, superintendent offices, and local police stations, mandating that complaints against these officials must first be thoroughly vetted on their merits to protect the integrity of administrative and legal workflows.
