Giridih, Oct. 26: Members of a Giridih royal family that earlier owned thousands of acres in the district was caught selling portions of the land after donating it to the government.

Giridih administration found seven members of the Rajgari family, including one Sanjay Rajgaria, guilty of primarily transferring plots in their and their family’s name and then selling the same to private parties.

For this illegal transfer of land, Sanjay and co-conspirators reportedly took the help of government officials.

They transferred three plots in Giridih alone and then sold them off to private owners.

The administration has ordered strict action against officials found to be involved in the illegal transfer of the land, including kaishre hind and gair majrua khas plots.

Deputy commissioner Vandana Dadel recently received three complaints regarding the illegal transfer and land encroachment in Dariadih, Bada Chowk and at Bhagad land on Giridih-Tundi road, worth crores and comprising 100 acres.

Dadel handed the matter over to the fast-track cell, a public redressal forum, and ordered the cases to be solved within a week.

The cell, led by deputy collector (land and revenue) Pawan Kumar, found the 1.39-acre-wide kaishre hind plot (number 604) purchased by one Prakash Sao from Sanjay Rajgaria to be a government property.

Sao has already constructed a building and a gas cylinder yard on the plot after the mutation was completed.

Kumar reportedly found the district circle officer, circle in-charge and area staff of Giridih block office involved in the case.

In his order, Kumar has ordered strict action against the three officials and the demolition of the gas cylinder yard on the government plot.

It is likely that a FIR would be lodged against Sanjay Rajgaria and other members of his family in this regard.

In the second case, plots numbered 88 and 66 at Bada Chowk, is in focus, too, and Kumar is studying both the cases. The deputy collector has ordered the present circle officer to investigate the matter.

While tackling the third complaint, the deputy collector found that the Rajgarias encroached plot number 408 and illegally sold it to several parties.

Sanjay and other Rajgarias belong to the family of Chand Mal Rajgaria, a famous mica businessman of country who rose to prominence in the 1970s.

He had owned thousands of acres of lands in different parts of Giridih.

Of his property, the businessman had donated hundreds of acres to the then Bihar government that later passed on to the Jharkhand governments. Four decades down the line, his grandchildren have been caught trying to make profit selling the donated plots.