Devidas Lokhande, a fireman from Colaba a fire department has been suspended after he accused the entire fire department, right from senior officers to the municipal commissioner of being corrupt
Devidas Lokhande, a fireman from Colaba a fire department has been suspended after he accused the entire fire department, right from senior officers to the municipal commissioner of being corrupt.
After Lokhande revealed his views during an interview to one of the regional channel, the fire department immediately jumped into action and issued his suspension order on Wednesday night at 11.
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However, Lokhande left the scene as soon as he was offered the order without even receiving the order. Lokhande is now slated to face an enquiry by a special board, headed by am officer of the rank of deputy fire officer within three days.
On May 10, Lokhande was interviewed by a regional channel related to May 9, Kalbadevi fire breakout incident. During the interview, the fire officer said that the entire fire department right from junior most fire employee to top-level authorities is corrupt.
When spoke to Acting Chief Fire Officer PS Rahandale, he said, "the employee has alleged that everybody from fore officer to municipal commissioner is corrupt and the top level officers are only busy in issuing Non Objection Certificates and inspection of buildings. We had sent him a show cause notice with a three days grace period to respond but he failed on follow the deadline. That’s the reason when he tried to resume his duty on May 3, we handed him the suspension order but he fled the scene without receiving it."
The department is slated to file a charge sheet within three days against the employee. The issue will them have a hearing I’m front of a board, headed by deputy Chief fire Officer. Lokhande will have to give reasons and show proofs of the allegations that he made during the media interview.
When spoke with Lokhande, he accepted that he has been issued suspension order. "I need to discuss the matter with my Union leaders to offer an explanations for the claims I made. I have requested for a fifteen day period for the same."
However the CFO said that the department wouldn't give any more grace period to Lokhande. "He will have to face the board as soon as the char sheet is filed. We refuse to offer more time to the employee.”
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