NRI Commission

About the Punjab NRI Commission

In 2011, the Punjab State Commission for NRIs was established under the Punjab State Commission for Non-Resident Indians Act, 2011. Its purpose is to safeguard the interests of NRIs, and to suggest various remedial measures to the Government.

The aim of the Act is: ”To provide for the constitution of a Commission for Non-resident Indians with a view to protecting and safeguarding the interest of the Non-resident Indians in the State of Punjab, and to recommend remedial measures for their welfare and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.”

The Punjab State Commission for Non-Resident Indians (NRI Commission) is a statutory, quasi-judicial authority headquartered in Sector 9, Chandigarh. It is headed by a retired Justice of the Hon’ble Punjab and Haryana High Court, ensuring that complaints are adjudicated with legal insight and fairness.

While orders passed by the NRI Commission are not binding on police or other government officials, the Commission still plays a vital role in drawing the attention of government departments to genuine NRI grievances. When combined with parallel legal proceedings in court, an NRI Commission complaint becomes a powerful additional tool.

Who Can Approach the NRI Commission?

The NRI Commission is accessible to a wide range of NRIs and PIOs (Persons of Indian Origin) who are facing legal difficulties in Punjab. You can approach the Commission if you are:

• A Non-Resident Indian (NRI) holding an Indian passport living abroad
• A Person of Indian Origin (PIO) or OCI card holder with property or family ties in Punjab
• A family member residing in India filing a complaint on behalf of an NRI
• An NRI victim of property fraud, cheating, or illegal occupation in Punjab
• An NRI facing police inaction or refusal to register an FIR
• An NRI who has been a victim of matrimonial fraud or dowry harassment

How We Help NRIs at the NRI Commission

NRI Legal Consultants has extensive experience representing NRIs before the Punjab NRI Commission. We handle every aspect of your complaint so you do not need to travel to India. Our approach combines NRI Commission proceedings with parallel legal actions for maximum effectiveness.

Filing Criminal Case Through the NRI Commission

One of the most common uses of the NRI Commission is to compel police action in criminal matters. NRIs frequently face situations where local police refuse to register an FIR or fail to investigate properly — especially in cases involving property fraud, cheating, or matrimonial offences.

The NRI Commission can direct the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) or Director General of Police (DGP) to take action. While the Commission’s orders are recommendatory (not binding), they carry significant weight and often result in prompt police response. Our approach:

Common criminal matters filed through the NRI Commission include: cheating and fraud (Sections 420/406 IPC), illegal occupation of property, dowry harassment and 498A matters, and cases involving Look Out Circulars issued against NRIs.

Grievance Escalation and Administrative Inaction

The NRI Commission is a powerful forum for escalating complaints against administrative inaction — situations where government departments, banks, revenue offices, or local authorities have failed to act on legitimate NRI requests. Common grievances include:

• Revenue department refusing to correct mutation records or inheritance entries
• Panchayat or municipal body enabling illegal construction on NRI land
• Banks refusing to release fixed deposits or accounts after a family member’s death
• Passport offices delaying or refusing renewal applications
• Police refusing to file FIRs despite clear criminal complaints
• RERA violations and builder fraud where local enforcement is absent

Property Disputes Before the NRI Commission

Property disputes are the single largest category of NRI Commission complaints. NRIs living abroad are particularly vulnerable to property fraud because they cannot physically monitor their assets in India. The most common property disputes we handle before the Commission include:

• Illegal occupation (Kabza): Relatives, neighbours, or encroachers taking possession of NRI-owned property
• Fraudulent sale: Property sold without the NRI owner’s knowledge using forged Power of Attorney
• Inheritance disputes: Co-heirs or relatives claiming sole ownership and blocking the NRI’s share
• Tenant refusal to vacate: Tenants in NRI property refusing to pay rent or vacate despite repeated demands
• Mutation fraud: Revenue entries manipulated to show different ownership without court orders
• Builder fraud: Developers failing to deliver possession or refund of invested amounts

We combine NRI Commission complaints with civil suits for permanent injunction, criminal FIRs for fraud and cheating, and if necessary, High Court writ petitions to obtain immediate protection for your property.