Arrested Trinamool leader finally suspended from his Bengal govt utility job

West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) finally on Wednesday issued a notification suspending Santanu Bandopadhyay, the expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader, who is in custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam.

Arrested Trinamool leader finally suspended from his Bengal govt utility job
Source: IANS

Kolkata, March 15 (IANS) West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) finally on Wednesday issued a notification suspending Santanu Bandopadhyay, the expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader, who is in custody of Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam.

As per the notification issued by WBSEDCL, besides putting him in suspension, departmental proceedings will also be initiated against him.

Earlier, despite several days having passed since Bandopadhyay was taken to custody by the ED, there had been no indication about his suspension. IANS on Tuesday had pointed out that that this was in violation of the Chapter - IV (Conduct, disciple, punishment and appeal) of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) Employees' Service Regulations which clearly states that if an employee is in custody (police or judicial) for 48 hours or more he will be placed under suspension from the time he is taken in custody.

Bandopadhyay was employed as a "senior technical support hand" with the state-run power distribution utility. He got his employment on compassionate grounds after his father, who was the head-clerk of the state-run power utility died while being in service. However, since Bandopadhyay did not complete his graduation, he was offered a lower post of senior technical support hand.

The question that is baffling the ED officials is how Bandopadhyay, a non-graduate and just a senior technical support hand with an annual pay-band of Rs 2,00,000 and Rs 6,00,000 can own assets and property worth multiple crores of rupees. Trinamool Congress leadership announced the expulsion of Bandopadhyay from the party on Tuesday afternoon only.