Today's development climaxes the suspension of about 10 employees of the same department by Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan for alleged financial irregularities in the this connection.

Standing Committee chairman Ajay Choksi told reporters that Sinha had been suspended to facilitate an independent enquiry into the alleged scam. Stating that suspension was not a punishment, Choksi said a retired High Court judge and an official of the government's health department would conduct an inquiry and submit a report within three months.

Incidentally, till August 19, Sinha had been holding additional charge of the post of deputy commissioner (Health and hospital). Subsequently, Jagadeesan stripped Sinha of the additional charge and appointed Deputy Health Officer I C Patel as deputy commissioner (H&H).

On September 3, the State government formally appointed Patel deputy commissioner (H&H), even as Sinha challenged the appointment in High Court on the grounds that Patel was not qualified for the post.

A number of financial irregularities have come to light in the health department in the past eight months. A vigilance enquiry found some employees prime facie guilty, which directed attention to Sinha without whose ``active connivance ... there could have been no irregularities in purchase of pesticide''.

Incidentally, the decision to suspend Sinha seems to have been taken by the coordination committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and simply endorsed by the standing committee. Newly elected standing committee member Anil Chauhan told Express Newsline that Sinha's case had not been discussed by them.

Party bigwigs, it seems, were in favour of Sinha's suspension. Over the years, Sinha's credibility was reportedly eroded as he began to figure in corruption scandals regularly. Even those supposedly sympathetic to Sinha refused to comment on the suspension. Deputy Mayor Snehlatben Chauhan said, ``I do not want to say any thing. It is the party's decision and I am not supposed to comment on it''.

Interestingly, Sinha had levelled several allegations against Jagadeesan. Replying to those charges, the commissioner said there was no way he could have favoured Patel, as he was appointed by the State government under Section 45(6) of the BPMC Act. Maintaining that he had okayed the Anti-Corruption Bureau inquiry against Sinha on the agency's request, Jagadeesan said he had no mala fide intention in this regard.