Bought Land, Now Caught in a Messy Legal Battle – Need Advice!

Four months ago, I purchased 5.25 beegha (around 3.25 acres) of agricultural land in a village in North India. I thought everything was in order—the papers checked out, registration and mutation went smoothly, and government records now officially list me as the owner.

Here’s the situation:

The land went through three parties:

1.  The original seller (a relative of my seller), sold the land to my seller.

2.  My seller sold the land to me.

When I bought it, I couldn’t take immediate possession because of the rainy season and an ongoing bajra crop. I agreed to wait until after the harvest (by Diwali). But now, there’s a new harvest, and when I pushed for possession, the seller advised me to bring the police along, raising my suspicions.

Here’s the bombshell:

I visited the first seller and found out he was allegedly tricked into selling the ancestral land while drunk. The second party (my seller) apparently paid him for 1 beegha but fraudulently registered 5.25 beegha. Now, the first seller’s underage son is planning to file a legal case, claiming the land cannot be sold without the consent of his mother and siblings.

To make matters worse, a farmer (known to first party) from an SC/ST community is currently cultivating the land, and I don’t want to escalate the situation for fear of being entangled in harassment cases.

Current Status:

• The land is in my name but without possession.

• The first seller doesn’t have money to buy the land back.

• My seller (the second party) is ghosting me and appears to be a serial fraudster.

• On first seller's son's behalf, a legal notice has already been sent to his father, my seller (excluding me), and the case is heading to court challenging the sale.

My Options (as I see them):

1.  **Wait for a Long Legal Battle:** Respond to the legal notice, deny knowledge of the fraud between the first and second parties, and let the court decide and I stand a chance to loose the land if it remain unconteseted. But this could take years.

2.  **File a Case Against 1st Seller, My Seller & SC/ST farmer:** Sue the 1st party & SC/ST farmer for not allowing me to take land pocession & second party for fraud to recover at least the DLC (documented) amount, which is about 1/3rd of the actual money I paid.

3.  **Leave the Land in Status Quo:** Keep ownership on paper but avoid possession, which means I’ll bear financial loss while the land remains in limbo.

I can’t sell the land ethically, knowing its legal complications, and I don’t want another innocent buyer to face the same ordeal.

What would you do in my shoes? Is there a better legal or practical option I haven’t considered? Any advice on navigating this mess?