Former CBI boss Joginder Singh dies aged 77

Former CBI chief Joginder Singh passed away on Friday.

New Delhi, Feb 4: Former Central Bureau of Investigation chief Joginder Singh, who oversaw investigation of several high-profile cases including Bofors scam and Bihar's fodder scam, died on Friday. He died at the age of 77. Former Member of Parliament Manish Tewari broke the news on Twitter.

"Former Director of the CBI--Sardar Joginder Singh is no more. May God Rest his soul in peace. Cremation 4-2-17,1 PM Lodhi Crematorium N.Delhi," he said.

Family sources said he breathed his last on Friday after prolonged illness. The 1961 batch Indian Police Service officer of Karnataka cadre was chosen to head the premier investigative agency when HD Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister.

Singh, who joined Police Service at the age of 20, rose to take charge of the CBI on July 31, 1996 when it was probing a large number of sensitive cases including Bofors, fodder scam, securities scam, Rs 133 crore urea scam and telecom deals by the then Union minister Sukh Ram, among others.

A prolific writer, Singh, penned over 25 books on various subjects after retiring from the service. The ever outspoken officer who never hid his views on the functioning of the CBI and corruption in the country, Singh had told The Hindu in an interview that many temptations were thrown at him when the agency was probing the fodder scam in which two former chief ministers of Bihar Lalu Prasad and Jagannath Mishra, besides a host of politicians and bureaucrats were allegedly involved.

In the interview, he fondly admitted to being a "South Indian by adoption" as he chose Mysore Academy (now Karnataka cadre) while joining Police service in the 1960s.

PTI