Upendranath Biswas or U. N. Biswas is a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, caste historian, and an Indian politician. He is widely known for his probe into the Fodder Scam and for bringing down the once-powerful RJD leader and Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav in 1997.[1][2]
Upendra Nath Biswas | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Backward Class Welfare,Government of West Bengal | |
| In office 2011–2016 | |
| Governor | M. K. Narayanan |
| Succeeded by | Rajib Banerjee |
| Member of Legislative Assembly of West Bengal | |
| In office 2011–2016 | |
| Governor | M. K. Narayanan |
| Preceded by | Dulal Bar (AITC) |
| Succeeded by | Dulal Bar (INC) |
| Constituency | Bagda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 August 1941 Jessore, Bangladesh |
| Political party | AITC(2011-2021) |
| Residence(s) | Sector III, Bidhannagar (E), Kolkata |
| Alma mater | University of Calcutta |
| Profession | Politician and Civil Servant |
He also served as the Minister of Backward Classes Welfare in the Government of West Bengal from 2011 to 2016 in the First Banerjee ministry. He resigned from Trinamool Congress in 2021.[3][4]
Early life
editHe was born to Nibaran Chandra Biswas at faridpur resent, vill ulpur, upazila Gopalganj, Jilla Gopalganj in Bangladesh. He belongs to Namasudra family and follows Ambedkarite ideology.[5] He completed his Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Calcutta in 1986. He got converted into Buddhism and is one of the few lawmakers belonging to the religion, from West Bengal.[6][7]
As a civil servant
editHe joined the West Bengal Police as an IPS officer in 1968, serving as a DSP in charge of an EFR Company, a Subdivision, Addl. SP of District HQ, S.P of West Dinajpur, SSP in the West Bengal CID, and the Joint Director in CBI, his honest investigation report to the court was changed with a milder one written by his deputy Ranjit Sinha by the head of the CBI, Joginder Singh to please the political establishment, for which the CBI received strictures from the court.[8][9][10]
He retired as the additional director of India's Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which he served as an officer of the Indian Police Service (West Bengal cadre, 1968 batch). He first became a news-maker by relentlessly pursuing former Chief Ministers of Bihar, Jagannath Mishra and Lalu Prasad Yadav in the ₹950 crore (US$110 million) Fodder scam as the joint Director (East), CBI.[11]
His efficiency and honesty were always on the top. He was involved in detecting and resolving many scams when he held the Office of the Joint Director, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The most popular of these was perhaps the scam for Chara Ghotala in which he caught the corrupt politician Lalu Prasad Yadav and sent him to jail also. Even after threats to his life from different politicians, he did his duties perfectly up to the end.
In 2002, he had retired from the CBI as Additional director.[12]
Politics
editAfter retirement from his job, he joined the All India Trinamool Congress party and won from Bagda in Bongaon subdivision.[13][14] He was an MLA, elected from the Bagda constituency in the 2011 West Bengal state assembly election. He has served as the Minister for Backward Class Welfare in the Government of West Bengal from 2011 to 2016. During the 2021 West Bengal election, he resigned from Trinamool Congress.[15]
Whistleblowing
editIn 2022, in a Facebook post, he first exposed the School Service Commission (SSC) TET scam in West Bengal.[16]
Controversy
editHe created a controversy by seeking the help of the Indian Army in rushing to arrest Lalu Prasad Yadav,[17][18] following which he was harassed by his department and the political establishment.[19]
References
edit- ^ "How I brought down Lalu Prasad — story of Upen Biswas". The Times of India.
- ^ "Ex-CBI officer who probed Lalu Yadav in fodder scam to help Bengal SSC probe: HC". Hindustan Times.
- ^ "Former Bengal minister Upen Biswas resigns from TMC". Deccan Herald.
- ^ "Former West Bengal minister Upen Biswas resigns from TMC". The Week.
- ^ "'Bengal Hasn't Produced A Jagjivan Ram Or Even A Mayawati'". www.outlookindia.com/. 10 August 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Dutt, Probal Basak & Ishita Ayan (3 October 2013). "Newsmaker: Upendranath Biswas". Business Standard India.
- ^ "Lalu a Good Actor, No One Can Match His 'Nautanki': CBI Officer Who Investigated Fodder Scam". News18. 23 December 2017. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Cbi Blasted For Scuttling Fodder Scam Probe". Business Standard. 5 October 1996. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "A CBI Director's shady past". Niti Central. 27 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "'Want To Go Back': When Ex-CBI Officer Left B'desh in 1964 for His Safety, Regrets 'Betraying' His People". News18. 3 November 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "U.N. Biswas retires". The Hindu. 1 February 2002. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ Chakraborty, Ajanta (28 April 2021). "Upen Biswas TMC: Former West Bengal minister Upen Biswas quits Trinamool Congress". The Times of India. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Mamata allots portfolios, keeps key ministries". IBN Live. Archived from the original on 25 May 2011.
- ^ "All the Didi's men". India Today. 22 May 2009.
- ^ "ফের ভাঙন TMC-তে, দলত্যাগ প্রাক্তন মন্ত্রী উপেনের". Aaj Tak বাংলা (in Bengali). Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "শিক্ষক নিয়োগ নিয়ে বিস্ফোরক মন্তব্য, রাজ্যের প্রাক্তন মন্ত্রীর পুরনো ফেসবুক পোস্ট ঘিরে চাঞ্চল্য!". bengali.abplive.com (in Bengali). 22 May 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Biswas asked CBI to seek army help: home minister". Rediff.com. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "Biswas was in a hurry to arrest Laloo: Gupta". Rediff.com. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
- ^ "Staying On". Outlook (India). 8 September 1997. Retrieved 19 May 2013.