Tainted cop goes to court

KOLKATA: Assistant director of the Narcotics Control Bureau NC Patra has finally decided to take his bosses to a tribunal, a month-anda-half after he was charged with gross misconduct and suspended from work after a drug raid. Patra, who filed an appeal before the Central Administrative Tribunal on December 9, has been granted a special hearing by the court on December 17.
Strangely, although Patra was suspended on October 27, he continued to attend office every day.He has also appeared in court on behalf of the NCB, and thereby ‘the Union of India’, in over half-adozen narcotics haul cases ever since his ‘suspension’. “Our main ground for appeal is that if the NCB and the Centre really believes Patra to be guilty, he would never have been allowed to attend work and represent his government in court.
If someone is accused of working against the interests of the government and suspended, how can he be allowed to represent that same government?� Patra’s legal counsel Kalyan Sarkar argued. Patra came under the spotlight earlier in the year when he led the raid to uncover an international drug manufacturing racket thriving at the ground floor flat of former CBI top cop Upen Biswas.
“I have been advised by my legal counsel to approach the CAT and appeal for immediate withdrawal of my suspension,� Patra said. His counsel added, “We feel the NCB has no grounds to suspend him and the faith they have put in him even after suspension, proves our point. We have pointed out Rule 10C of the Central Civil Service Rules to appeal for the immediate withdrawal of the suspension order.�
“I wrote two letters on November 3 and 11 to NCB director M.K. Singh, requesting him to withdraw my suspension, and as nine of us undertook the alleged raid, all should be suspended and I should not be singled out. Since I received no reply, my counsel advised me to appeal before the CAT which I did on December 9,� Patra said. When contacted in Delhi the director general refused to comment on the issue, saying it was “under investigation�.