IGR Maharashtra: Search Index II, Encumbrance Certificate & Registered Documents Online

Key Takeaways

IGR Maharashtra (Inspector General of Registration & Stamps) governs property registration, stamp duty collection, and Ready Reckoner valuation across the state.
Index II is the one-page registration summary generated after every property document is registered — it’s the fastest way to verify a specific sale, mortgage, or gift was actually recorded.
Index II and document search are available free at freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in, with Mumbai records from 1985 and other districts digitised largely from 2002 onward.
An Encumbrance Certificate (EC) shows registered transactions (sales, mortgages, charges) against a property for a chosen period — but it only reflects what was formally registered, not unregistered claims or informal disputes.
pay2igr.igrmaharashtra.gov.in (e-Display / e-ASR) is used for viewing scanned copies of registered documents and Ready Reckoner rate lookups, for a nominal fee.
An EC is a necessary but not sufficient check — always combine it with a 7/12 or Property Card review and, ideally, a lawyer’s title search.

Reading time: 8 min | Last updated: July 2026 | By Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

IGR Maharashtra — the Inspector General of Registration and Stamps — is the state authority that registers every property sale, mortgage, and gift deed, and its online portals let you search Index II records and pull an Encumbrance Certificate before you buy. If the 7/12 or Property Card tells you who currently owns the land, IGR’s records tell you what has actually been done to that land legally — every registered sale, every mortgage, every charge — going back years. Skipping this check is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes land buyers make in Maharashtra.

What IGR Maharashtra Actually Does

The Department of Registration and Stamps (IGR) has three core functions relevant to property buyers:

Function	What It Means for You
Document Registration	Every sale deed, gift deed, mortgage deed, and lease above a threshold must be registered at the Sub-Registrar’s Office (SRO) to be legally valid and enforceable.
Stamp Duty Collection	Stamp duty (currently around 6-7% depending on buyer category and location) is assessed and collected at registration, based on the higher of transaction value or Ready Reckoner rate.
Valuation (Ready Reckoner / ASR)	IGR publishes the Annual Statement of Rates (Ready Reckoner) used to compute minimum stamp duty valuation for any survey number/CTS number.

We’ve covered Ready Reckoner rates and stamp duty mechanics in detail in our Stamp Duty, Registration & Ready Reckoner Rate guide. This post focuses specifically on searching records and pulling an Encumbrance Certificate.

What Is Index II?

Index II (Suchi Kramank 2) is the single-page summary the Sub-Registrar generates immediately after registering any property document — sale, mortgage, gift, power of attorney, lease. It records the parties involved, the property description (survey/CTS number), the transaction value, the stamp duty paid, and the registration date and document number. It is the fastest way to confirm a specific transaction was actually registered — as opposed to just claimed by a seller.

How to Search Index II Online

Go to freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in.
Select your jurisdiction: Mumbai, Rest of Maharashtra, or Urban Areas in Rest of Maharashtra.
Choose search type — by district, taluka, village and survey/CTS number (property-based search) or by document number and year (if you already have the registration reference).
Enter the required details and submit — no login is required for the free search.
Review the results list; each entry shows document type, parties, and date. Click through for the Index II summary.

Coverage note: Mumbai’s digitised records generally go back to 1985; most other Maharashtra districts are digitised from around 2002 onward. For older transactions, a manual search at the Sub-Registrar’s Office may be necessary.

Getting an Encumbrance Certificate Online

What an EC Shows

An Encumbrance Certificate lists all registered transactions — sales, mortgages, leases, charges, court attachments — against a specific property over a period you specify (e.g., the last 13 or 30 years). It is the standard document banks require before sanctioning a home or land loan, and the standard check any careful buyer runs before paying token money.

How to Get One

Visit freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in for a preliminary self-search of registered documents against the property (village, survey/CTS number, and date range).
For a certified Encumbrance Certificate, apply through the Sub-Registrar’s Office covering the property’s jurisdiction, or through IGR’s online EC application process where available, specifying the search period required.
Use pay2igr.igrmaharashtra.gov.in (the e-Display / e-Search portal) to view or download scanned copies of specific registered documents once you’ve identified them via Index II, for a nominal per-document fee.
Cross-check the EC period against your ownership chain — if you need 30 years of history for a bank loan, explicitly request that range; a default search may only cover a shorter recent window.

What an Encumbrance Certificate Does NOT Prove

This is where buyers most often over-trust the document. An EC only reflects what has been formally registered with the Sub-Registrar. It does not guarantee:

What an EC Misses	Why
Unregistered agreements or claims	Informal family settlements, unregistered wills, or oral agreements don’t appear because they were never filed with the SRO.
Pending litigation not yet reflected	A fresh court case or injunction may not show up immediately in registration records.
Equitable mortgages via deposit of title deeds	Some bank mortgages created without a registered instrument may only appear in CERSAI records, not IGR’s EC.
Boundary or physical possession disputes	An EC is a transactional record, not a physical verification — it says nothing about who is actually occupying the land or where the boundary sits on the ground.

For boundary and physical verification, pair your EC check with a Bhunaksha lookup — see our companion guide on checking property records online in Maharashtra for the full document stack.

“An Encumbrance Certificate tells you what’s registered — it doesn’t tell you what’s hidden. I’ve seen buyers treat a clean EC as a green light and skip everything else. It’s one layer, not the whole wall. Pair it with a 7/12 or Property Card check, a physical site visit, and ideally a lawyer’s title search before you release any payment.” — Girish Chhalwani, Founder & CEO, THE EDGE Developments

Practical Search Tips

Search by both survey/CTS number and owner name where possible — name-based searches can catch transactions the property-based search misses due to old spelling variations.
Request the longest reasonable EC period. A 13-year EC is common for bank loans but a 30-year search gives a fuller picture for high-value land purchases.
Cross-verify Index II entries against the seller’s claimed chain of title. Every prior sale the seller mentions should have a corresponding Index II entry.
Use e-Display (pay2igr) to actually read the registered document, not just the Index II summary — the summary can omit conditions or clauses that matter (easements, restrictive covenants).
Don’t skip this for “clean” family land either. Even inherited or gifted land should show a registered gift deed or succession-related mutation; absence of any registration entry is itself a red flag worth investigating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does IGR Maharashtra stand for and what does it do?

IGR stands for Inspector General of Registration (and Stamps). It is the Maharashtra government department responsible for registering property documents, collecting stamp duty, and publishing Ready Reckoner valuation rates.

What is Index II and why does it matter?

Index II is the one-page summary generated after a property document is registered, showing the parties, property description, transaction value, and registration date. It’s the fastest way to confirm a transaction was legally registered.

How do I search Index II online for free?

Visit freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in, select your jurisdiction, and search by property details (district, taluka, village, survey/CTS number) or by document number and year. No login is required.

How far back do IGR’s online records go?

Mumbai’s digitised records generally go back to 1985. Most other Maharashtra districts are digitised largely from around 2002 onward; older transactions may require a manual search at the Sub-Registrar’s Office.

How do I get an Encumbrance Certificate online in Maharashtra?

Start with a self-search on freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in, then apply for a certified EC through the relevant Sub-Registrar’s Office or IGR’s online EC application, specifying the search period you need.

What does an Encumbrance Certificate actually prove?

It proves what registered transactions (sales, mortgages, charges) exist against a property for the period searched. It does not prove the absence of unregistered claims, pending litigation, or physical possession disputes.

What is pay2igr.igrmaharashtra.gov.in used for?

It’s IGR’s e-Display / e-Search portal for viewing or downloading scanned copies of specific registered documents, and for Ready Reckoner (e-ASR) rate lookups, for a nominal fee.

Is an Encumbrance Certificate enough to confirm clear title?

No. It’s one important layer. Combine it with a 7/12 or Property Card check, physical boundary verification, and ideally a lawyer’s title search covering at least 30 years.

Can I check stamp duty and Ready Reckoner rates on the same IGR portals?

Yes — Ready Reckoner (Annual Statement of Rates) lookups are available through IGR’s e-ASR service, typically accessible via igrmaharashtra.gov.in or pay2igr.igrmaharashtra.gov.in.

Citations & Sources

Department of Registration and Stamps, Maharashtra: igrmaharashtra.gov.in
Free online document/Index II search: freesearchigrservice.maharashtra.gov.in
e-Display / e-Search document and valuation portal: pay2igr.igrmaharashtra.gov.in