According to the suspension order, multiple complaints of a ‘serious nature’ had been received against the officer.
Self-styled godman Ashok Kharat. (Photo: ANI)
The Maharashtra government has suspended Deputy Collector Abhijeet Bhande Patil over alleged financial dealings and close links with controversial figure Ashok Kharat, in a development that has further intensified the political storm surrounding the case and drawn sections of the state bureaucracy into the controversy.
The suspension order was issued by the Revenue Department after Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule directed immediate action against the officer. Bhande Patil, who was serving as a Deputy Collector, will now face a departmental inquiry under provisions of the Maharashtra Civil Services rules.
Officials said the action followed findings by investigators who reportedly accessed call records showing repeated communication between Bhande Patil and Ashok Kharat. Sources added that the frequency of the conversations, along with allegations of financial transactions between the two, raised serious concerns within the administration.
According to the suspension order, multiple complaints of a “serious nature” had been received against the officer. These complaints allegedly relate to criminal misconduct, cheating and exploitation. In its preliminary assessment, the government observed that the officer’s conduct appeared “unbecoming of a government servant” and had adversely affected the image of the administration.
The order further noted that the allegations prima facie fall under misconduct as defined in the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979, necessitating a formal departmental inquiry.
Pending further proceedings, Bhande Patil has been suspended under the Maharashtra Civil Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1979. During the suspension period, his headquarters has been attached to the office of the Konkan Divisional Commissioner, and he has been barred from leaving headquarters without prior permission.
The government has also prohibited him from taking up any private employment or business activity while under suspension.
The latest development is being seen as a major escalation in the Ashok Kharat case, with indications that the scope of the investigation could widen further in the coming days.
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