An office assistant of a government office was placed under suspension today by the district magistrate, West Burdwan for his ‘unauthorized’ participation in Nabanna Avijan called by an outfit titled ‘Chhatra Samaj’ on 28 August.

Subhankar Banerjee, an upper division clerk with the Block Development Office in Kanksa was slapped with charges of flouting the provisions of the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act, 2017 that prohibits suppression of subversive activities that threaten public safety and tranquility. Also, the UDC has been accused of Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984 for causing damage to government property.

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The deputy commissioner (central) of the Howrah Police Commissionerate had communicated to the DM, West Burdwan’s office about Subhankar’s arrest and staying in police remand for uninterrupted 120 hours. The DM, following the provisions of the Bengal government’s Service Rules, 1971 has placed the clerk under suspension. After suspension, Banerjee said, “It’s a politically motivated instruction and I’ll fight it out in the court of law.”