Cbi Questions Laloo Over Fodder Scam

Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal national president Laloo Prasad Yadav was yesterday interrogated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the multi-crore fodder scam.

The CBI team, led by joint director (east) UN Biswas, examined Yadavs role in the scam at the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) guest house on the outskirts of the state capital.

The evidence on which the CBI sleuths based their interrogation included the finding from Ranchi that scam kingpin S B Sinha was shown as the uncle and the local guardian of three wards of Yadav.

Yadav was also asked about the air tickets that were allegedly purchased by the animal husbandry department suppliers and which had been entered in the account books of one J P Verma, an Indian Airlines employee and supplier in the animal husbandry department.

The books of accounts were seized by the CBI from Pataliputra Travels in Patna.

The Chief Minister was also asked to state his stand on the lapses committed by the finance department in detecting the excess withdrawals made by the animal husbandry department officials.

Yadav was further asked why he did not initiate steps to plug the holes through which public money was siphoned off from different treasuries in the state.

The CBI team included the agencys Dhanbad SP Rakesh Asthana, Patna CBI DIG Ranjit Sinha and S P Javed Ahmed.

At the interrogation, which began around 1400 hrs, Yadav was assisted by chief secretary A K Basak, finance commissioner VS Dubey, principal secretary, Muk-und Prasad and animal husbandry director C K Mishra.

According to sources, the Chief Minister called up CBI joint director U N Biswas at around 9.30 a m to communicate his willingness to face the investigating agency. He told Biswas that he would be available at the WALMI guest house 1.30 p m onwards.

The Patna district administration had made tight security arrangements and did not allow journalists to enter the premises.

Although neither Yadavs answers nor the full content of the interrogation were known, the CBI was also expected to question Yadav on several other issues.

With the Chief Ministers questioning, the interrogation of politicians in the Rs 950 crore animal husbandry department scam has come to an end.

The CBI is now expected to submit a report to the High Court on January 17. The High Court had given the agency three months to complete the probe.

I am cooperating:Laloo

After a marathon session with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) sleuths yesterday, a visibly tired Laloo Prasad Yadav came out of the venue of interrogation to reiterate that he was a complainant in the multi-crore fodder scam case.

I have been cooperating with the CBI to unearth the scandal, he told waiting newspersons.

I have answered the queries of the CBI officials in right earnest, he said and added that everything was normal and there was no misgivings as far as I was concerned.

He praised the courts, the media and the investigating agency for their role in exposing the scam.

He said that since the matter was pending before the court, I would not like to comment further as it may amount to contempt of court.

Incidentally, mediapersons were denied entry to his 1, Anne Marg official residence by the securitymen on the plea that the Chief Minister was resting.