Soon after assuming charge, the Jharkhand cadre 1974-batch IPS officer Amar Pratap Singh said he would ensure that these corruption cases got more attention. “We will see that investigations and trials in all the corruption cases are speeded up and taken to their logical conclusion,” he told The Telegraph over telephone from New Delhi.
Fifty-eight-year-old Singh was appointed director for two years, succeeding Ashwani Kumar whose term ended today. Earlier, Singh was the agency’s special director.
Singh, whose first posting in Jharkhand (then part of Bihar) was as SP from 1984 to 1987, said that even though fodder scam cases were dragging on for 14 years, many of them had led to convictions.
“I am not updated with the progress of cases involving Lalu Prasad and other high profile politicians. But I will ensure that these cases also are taken to their logical conclusion soon,” he said.
Singh said judgments in 37 of 52 fodder scam cases registered in Jharkhand had been delivered with convictions for most of the accused.
Lalu Prasad is an accused in five cases. The trial in one of those, RC 20, is likely to be concluded soon, he revealed. Witnesses are being examined in the remaining cases.
The new CBI director said he wasn’t aware of the status of the multi-crore scam cases involving Koda and his associates as he was not handling them (as special director).
“But I will certainly see that the investigation is expedited in these cases too,” he maintained.
Promising to visit the state soon to review cases, Singh said the investigating agency was adequately equipped in Jharkhand and Bihar. “We have two units each in Patna and Ranchi (animal husbandry and anti-corruption bureau) and one anti-corruption bureau unit in Dhanbad. It’s enough and they (CBI officials) are doing a good job,” he said.
After his Jamshedpur posting, Singh went on central deputation. He returned to Jharkhand in 2003 and was posted as officer on special duty in Jharkhand Bhavan in New Delhi till 2006 when Arjun Munda was chief minister.
He has also held the post of additional director-general in BSF and is a recipient of Indian Police Medal and President’s Police Medal.