Maharashtra engineer sends obscene photo to WhatsApp group, firm suspends him

Mumbai city news: The employee will be paid 50% of his salary and a dearness allowance for the duration of his suspension

The Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MSPGCL) suspended a senior engineer for allegedly posting an obscene picture on a WhatsApp group, of which energy minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule is a member.

The accused sent the photograph to the group ‘Energy minister live’ on July 14. (HT File Photo)

The firm’s managing director, Bipin Shrimali, suspended the chief engineer of the Koyna hydroelectric power generation project’s Pophali unit for allegedly sending the photograph to the group ‘Energy minister live’ between 12 am and 1 pm on July 14. He was suspended indefinitely on July 15, said MSPGCL officials.

“We will conduct an internal inquiry into the incident. The engineer claims that his phone was not in his possession when the message was sent. We will take a final decision after the inquiry has been completed,” said an MSPGCL spokesperson.

He said this was the first time such an incident had occurred in the firm’s history and as such, there was a need to set a precedent. “We were under pressure to act after the incident went viral on social media. The inquiry will determine if the engineer is innocent or guilty,” he said.

The employee will be paid 50% of his salary and a dearness allowance for the duration of his suspension.