Additional trouble seems to brewing for Santanu Bandopadhyay, the Trinamool Congress leader arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the multi-crore teachers' recruitment scam in West Bengal, as his suspension has become inevitable from the state-run power utility where he is an employee.
He is employed as a "senior technical support hand" with the state-run power distribution utility. West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL).
The paragraph 64 under Chapter - IV (Conduct, disciple, punishment and appeal) of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) Employees' Service Regulations 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.
"If an employee of the Company is prosecuted for a criminal offence and forced to remain absent from duty by reason of being committed to Police or Jail custody on a criminal charge or by reason of his being committed to prison under the Preventive Detention Act for activities other than ones connected with an illegal strike or for a debt and if his absence on the aforesaid ground exceeds 48 hours, he shall be deemed to be under suspension from the time he was taken to custody," the said paragraph has clearly said.
As per the sequence of events, Bandyopadhyay was arrested by the ED on the evening of March 10 and was presented at a special court of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in Kolkata on March 11, when the court remanded him to initial judicial custody till March 13. On March 13, he was again presented at the same court which extended his judicial custody till March 24.
So going by the sequence, his tenure in custody has exceeded 48 hours. However, it is yet to be clear whether the state-run power utility concerned or the state power department has started the process of putting him under suspension. The officials of both the state power department and the power-utility concerned have maintained total silence in the matter.
Senior advocate of the Calcutta High Court and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya said that as per the legal provision as well as the service rules of WBSEDCL, Bandopadhyay should have been placed under suspension by now. "Here ED custody is deemed as police custody," he said.
At the same time, 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.
Flight operation between Agartala-Delhi to be increased; resumption of flight operation between Agartala-Aizawl, Agartala-Shillong, says MP Biplab Kumar Deb
The former Chief Minister and presently the MP for West Tripura constituency Biplab Kumar Deb on Friday chaired the airport advisory committee meeting here at Agartala MBB Airport and said that there is a plan to increase direct flight operation from Delhi to Agartala.
Tripura: Bill proposes hike in salaries of CM, Ministers and MLAs upto 50pc
An Amendment Bill has been moved in the Tripura Assembly on Friday proposing the increase of salaries, allowances of Ministers, MLAs and former legislators by 45 to 50 per cent.
Winter assembly session begins in Tripura; Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu lauds Govt’s effort in maintaining law and order in Tripura
In his speech in the sixth session of the 13th Tripura Legislative Assembly, the Governor said, “The state of Tripura is witnessing development in almost every sector including infrastructure, health care, education, agriculture and others under the guidance of the Centre and state leadership.”
TSF stages protest, demands to raise Roman script for Kokborok language in Assembly
The Twipra Student Federation (TSF), a wing of the North East Students Organisation (NESO), on Friday staged a protest near Circuit House in Agartala, demanding the issue of adopting the Roman script for the Kokborok language be raised in the winter session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, which started today.
Govt to appoint over 400 Assistant Professors in colleges: CM
In a move to provide quality education to students studying in various colleges and to solve the crisis of Professors across the state, the Tripura government has taken a series of steps, including the appointment of 200 Assistant Professors,
Drug peddling: ED raids cop's residence, premises of suspected smugglers in Tripura
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths on Friday conducted raids in Tripura and searched the residence of a police official and premises of several people allegedly involved in drug peddling and money laundering cases, sources said.
Crucial winter session of Tripura Assembly to begin from tomorrow
The crucial winter session of the Tripura assembly would begin on Friday and a bill would be moved in the House amending the existing law to provide retirement benefits to all MLAs who have served even for just a day, officials said on Thursday.
Ex-CM accuses BJP of divisive politics to mask hide core issues
Former Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Saturday criticized the ruling BJP, accusing it of fostering divisions among Hindus, Muslims, Tribals, and Non-Tribals to divert attention from pressing issues such as rising prices, unemployment, and economic hardships.