Lalu Yadav Fodder scam: There has hardly been any such scam in the history of Bihar, which has shaken all the three pillars of politics, bureaucracy and judiciary simultaneously. This was not just theft of government money, but an exposure of a rotten system that had been based on dishonesty for decades. Known as ‘Fodder Scam’, this case was of embezzlement of Rs 950 crore, which snatched away the chair of a powerful Chief Minister and changed the direction of Bihar politics forever. Let us know, how did this dark ‘game’ start? And how hundreds of officers and leaders including Lalu Prasad Yadav came under the scanner of this scam.
The foundation of corruption was laid in the 1970s
The roots of this mega scam go back to the 1970s. During this period, false bills started being made in the Animal Husbandry Department of Bihar in the name of government expenditure. In the beginning it was a small-scale fraud, but as time passed, the collusion of officers, suppliers (contractors) and politicians increased. Money was continuously withdrawn from the government treasury in the name of animal fodder, medicines and equipment, whereas the reality was that these things were never purchased. All the work continued to be done on paper and the treasury kept becoming empty.
high level political patronage
This corruption continued to increase despite a warning. In 1985, the then Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) T.N. Chaturvedi had formally warned the Bihar government. He had clearly said that the delay in reporting accounts by departments points towards embezzlement on a large scale. But this serious warning was completely ignored. This ignorance made it clear that corruption was getting political patronage at high levels.
Vigilance department officer got punishment
One of the first people to show the courage to expose this layer of corruption was Vigilance Department Inspector Bidhu Bhushan Dwivedi. In 1992, in one of his detailed reports, he had talked about involvement up to the level of the Chief Minister. But instead of bringing out the truth, he got punishment instead of investigation. He was transferred and later suspended. However, he was later reinstated on court orders and became an important witness in the case.
The biggest revelation happened in 1996
In January 1996, young Deputy Commissioner Amit Khare conducted a surprise raid at the Chaibasa treasury in Ranchi. The documents found in this raid exposed Bihar’s biggest financial scam. The documents revealed that crores of rupees were siphoned off from the government treasury through fake bills, fictitious animals and fake suppliers. All these documents told the complete story of this ‘black game’. Local journalist Ravi S. Jha brought this scam into national headlines for the first time, making it clear that not only officials but even big leaders were involved in it.
CBI investigation and case against Lalu
Under immense public pressure and under the supervision of the court, in March 1996, the Patna High Court handed over the investigation of this case to the CBI. As soon as the investigation began, many big names came to light—these included the then Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra and many senior IAS officers. Gradually the scope of the scam expanded to more than 50 cases. On May 10, 1997, the CBI sought permission from the Governor to prosecute Lalu Prasad Yadav on the basis of evidence, which was granted by the then Governor A.R. Kidwai approved. Lalu’s anticipatory bail application was also rejected by the court.
Lalu removed from power, Rabri became Chief Minister
As soon as the arrest was imminent, Lalu Prasad Yadav formed his new party Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on 5 July 1997 and separated from the Janata Dal. On 25 July 1997, he resigned from the post of CM and added a new chapter in the political circles by appointing his wife Rabri Devi as the new Chief Minister of Bihar.
Jail and a long series of cases
Lalu Prasad Yadav was arrested for the first time in 1997. After this, in 1998 and 2000 also he was arrested in different cases. The investigation was going on so thoroughly that documents related to the scam were presented before the court in 20 trucks.
Deep impact on Lalu’s politics
Lalu Prasad Yadav was sentenced to a total of 14 years in this case. In 2013, the CBI court in Ranchi convicted him, leading to the loss of his Lok Sabha membership and disqualification from contesting elections. The scam not only tarnished the image of Bihar, but it was seen as a symbol of “Jungle Raj” and political patronage. This scam shows how when power and system come together, public money can be looted. Even today the fodder scam is considered the biggest example of government corruption in India. A large part of the embezzled amount has not yet been returned.
