Express file photo of Union Minister Giriraj Singh Express file photo of Union Minister Giriraj Singh

A case of land sale forgery and criminal conspiracy has been lodged against Union minister and BJP Nawada MP Giriraj Singh and 32 others, and all have also been booked under the SC/ST Act. The case was lodged on Wednesday in Danapur police station following an order of the Patna district and sessions court. Complainant Ram Narayan Prasad, a resident of Aasdiha village under Danapur police station, has alleged that an ancestral plot of 60 decimal was sold thrice using “forged land rent receipts”.

Prasad has alleged that all the accused, including Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh, had helped in the “illegal sale” of his land on the basis of forged land rent receipts. Prasad said his land was first illegally sold in 1957, then in 1972 and gifted to a third person through a deed of gift in 1992. The plot has been under illegal possession of Danapur resident Rajaram Rai and his family, Prasad has alleged.

Patna SSP Manu Maharaj told The Indian Express: “The case has been lodged against Giriraj Singh and 32 others on a court complaint” under IPC Sections 419, 420, 423, 467, 468, 469, 471, 474 read with 120 (B).

The complainant said he and his three brothers had got two acres and 56 decimal from their mother Bal Kuwar Devi, who was gifted the land by her brother Bipat Ram through a deed of gift in 1948. Prasad got 60 decimal as his share. He said the police and Danapur administration had not heeded his complaints, forcing him to move the Patna district court to lodge an FIR.

The FIR or the court complaint letter does not make any specific complaint against the minister. Singh faces the same charges as the others.

Singh was unavailable for comment. BJP spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan said: “Giriraj Singh is a law abiding citizen. He respects the judicial process. His lawyers will respond to the matter.”

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