In Mumbai on Monday, former Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Joginder Singh was quoted by a senior investigator saying, “Don’t touch” Lalu Prasad Yadav – the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief and then Chief Minister of Bihar – and to spare him from the Rs 950‑crore fodder scam.
The story comes from an interview given by Upendra Nath Biswas, who worked as the CBI’s Joint Director when the probe began in the mid‑1990s. Biswas, now 84, says he was summoned by Singh in 1996‑97 with a request that he overlook Yadav. “He told me all politicians are corrupt, but to protect Lalu, keep going on others. Don’t touch Lalu,” Biswas recalled.
Biswas also said that Singh suggested nothing would backfire if he let Yadav slip through the cracks. He denies turning a blind eye, arguing that he was coached but never pressured to do so.
Key moments in the long‑running fodder scam commentary:
* The scam erupted in 1990‑91 and 1995‑96. Bihar’s Animal Husbandry Department, in collusion with suppliers, allegedly siphoned hundreds of crores by issuing bogus invoices for food and veterinary supplies.
* The money was taken from government accounts and misappropriated, with high‑ranking officials allegedly receiving kick‑backs for approving the payments.
* Biswas credits a “young IAS officer” who rallied his team to collect crucial evidence, calling it a turning point.
According to Biswas, the scam revealed a chain of corruption that linked lower‑level officials to Lalu’s office. “Those at the top paid off the movers who facilitated the diversion,” he said.
He says the case survived because of the court’s close scrutiny, which prevented him from yielding to pressure from his seniors. Biswas is praised by peers for his impartial investigative work and for resisting interference.
The fodder scam remains one of India’s most prominent corruption cases, exposing systemic abuses in a politically powerful state and putting Lalu Prasad Yadav under intense scrutiny.
Source: ianslive
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