Bhopal/Ashta (Madhya Pradesh): Divisional commissioner of Bhopal Gulshan Bamra suspended chief executive officer of Ashta Janpad Panchayat DN Patel, after a video related to cash kept in his drawer went viral on social media on Friday, sources said on Saturday.
In the video, someone was heard saying that a sum of Rs 7,500 had been kept in his drawer for signing a file in connection with a CC road work.
In the video, Patel was heard wishing to know from the person concerned the amount of money kept in the drawer.
The person informed Patel that a sum of Rs 7,500 was kept in the drawer for the file he had signed.
As soon as the video went viral, Patel posted a few messages to the Whatsapp group saying that someone had tried to defame him.
During the suspension, Patel’s headquarters will be district Panchayat in Vidisha.
After the video went viral, Patel held a press conference and said that it was a conspiracy to defame him.
He also said that he was collecting money for financial aid to the family of a sub-engineer Makhan Lal Ahirwar who died of cancer.
Patel further said that a sum of Rs 68,000 had been collected from officers, secretaries and Sarpanches.
Someone edited the video before making it viral, which was wrong, Patel said.
In the press conference, president of Sarpanch Sangh in Ashta Mansingh Ilahi, president of Jawar Sarpanch Sangh Kalyan Singh Thakur and president of Samyukta Morcha Vikram Singh Mewada said that someone had tried to defame Patel.
According to sources, the axe may fall on another employee of the Janpad Panchayat. It is, however, not yet clear who had kept the money in Patel’s drawer or when a video was made.
