UPPCL terminates officer who put up Laden’s pic in Farukhabad office

Gautam had put up the picture of the terrorist in his office when he was posted in Kayamganj subdivision-II of Farrukhabad district in June 2022.

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The former chief Al-Qaeda, a globally-recognised terror outfit, was eliminated by a team of US Navy SEALs in Pakistan in 2011. (PTI)

Lucknow The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has terminated the services of the sub-divisional officer (SDO) who was suspended last year for putting up a picture of terrorist Osama bin Laden in his office in Farukhabad’s Kayamganj area. The former chief Al-Qaeda, a globally-recognised terror outfit, was eliminated by a team of US Navy SEALs in Pakistan in 2011.

On Monday, UPPCL chairman M Devraj issued an eight-page order to dismiss the accused SDO, Ravindra Prakash Gautam, after an inquiry committee -- headed by chief engineer Izhar Ahmad -- found him guilty of misconduct as public servant. “We have dismissed SDO Ravindra Prakash Gautam. He has also been disqualified for a future job due to his gross misconduct as a public servant,” Devraj told HT.

The probe committee, according to the dismissal order, found Gautam guilty of misconduct as a public servant by publicly declaring a terrorist as his hero and making direct correspondence to senior officials, often using filthy language.

Gautam had put up the picture of the terrorist in his office when he was posted in Kayamganj subdivision-II of Farrukhabad district in June 2022. After a video clip of his office room had gone viral in June last year, the Agra discom suspended the SDO and launched an inquiry. According to local reports, Gautam used to idolise Bin Laden as he was an engineer by degree.