DyMC to be suspended

MUMBAI, June 26: Deputy municipal commissioner I C Gandhi will be suspended tomorrow, said Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale.Gandhi, ch...

MUMBAI, June 26: Deputy municipal commissioner I C Gandhi will be suspended tomorrow, said Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale.

Gandhi, chief engineer in the solid waste management department of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, was arrested by the Anti Corruption Bureau on Tuesday evening. He was allegedly receiving a bribe of Rs five lakh from a transport contractor Nissim Siddique at his residence.

Gokhale told express Newsline that a parallel departmental enquiry will also be ordered, adding the suspension order will be issued only after an official communication from the ACB on the case. He said that he had a telephonic talk with the director general of ACB and requested a detailed report on the incident.

According to the BMC regulations, any official who faced charges of smuggling, rape, bribery and drunkenness, has to be suspended within 48 hours, explained Gokhale. Also, according to the Government Resolution issued in 1965, any official who faces charges of moral degradation has to be suspended within 48 hours.

The civic law officer Chheda stated that section 80 b of the Municipal Corporation Regulation, 1989 also calls for suspension of the official who faced criminal charges on specific orders issued by the administration. In Gandhi8217;s case, the commissioner is entitled to pass the suspension order, the law officer added.

The commissioner also made a statement in the house today explaining the entire incident.

Meanwhile, Gandhi failed to obtain bail from the sessions court on Wednesday. His lawyer arrived at the court late. Sources said that the ACB had informed the lawyer that Gandhi would be brought to the court at 3 pm whereas he was produced at 1.30 pm.

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The arrest of Gandhi, who was due to retire in six months, has baffled the civic administration. Gokhale said the arrest had taken him by surprise.

8220;He has always been down to earth. He would scrutinise each proposal very closely and take objective decisions.8221;

Gandhi enjoyed the image of a strict official in the corporation. However, ACB officials claim that they received a number of complaints against Gandhi in the last three months. But none of them came forward in assisting them to trap Gandhi, said the ACB officials.