FSL director suspended for "wrong" report on PETN in Assembly

A red-faced Uttar Pradesh government today suspended the director of the state forensic laboratory here over an allegedly "misleading" report which held that the suspicious substance recovered from the state Assembly on July 12 was highly explosive PETN, an official said.
A senior officer will hold a probe in this regard, he said.
Director of state Forensic Science Laboratory, Shiv Bihari Upadhyay, has been suspended for allegedly giving a wrong, misleading, incomplete and unconfirmed report about the substance recovered in the state Assembly, Principal Secretary (Home) Arvind Kumar said.
"Upadhyay got the substance examined and in the report it was held to be PETN positive. When the NIA got it tested from CFSL, Hyderabad, it was found to be Silicon Oxide (Quartz) and not the dangerous explosive," Kumar said.

Kumar said that Upadhyay had been suspended for allegedly getting the substance tested using an explosive detection kit whose usage date had expired in March 2016 itself.
Another charge against him was that it was tested by a person who was not an expert in the field, he added.

Director, Vigilance, Hitesh Awasthi will probe the charges, the official said.
There were also complaints against Upadhyay pertaining to irregularities during his tenure as the acting director of a laboratory in Patna, Bihar, from February 28, 2008, to August 20, 2012, Principal Secretary (Home) Kumar said.
It was on the basis of this report that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had told the house that the powdery substance recovered had been fund out to be explosive PETN and a NIA probe was ordered.

An FIR was lodged under various sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Hazratganj police station.
The "white powder" was found wrapped in a paper close to the seat of the Leader of the Opposition Ram Govind Choudhary by the cleaning staff on July 12 morning before the House met for the day.
The powder weighing 150 gms was sent for FSL examination, which suggested that it was plastic explosive PETN (Pentaerythritol tetranitrate), the chief minister had said.
PETN is a dangerous plastic explosives and has been used in terror attacks as the colourless crystals can surpass security checks.

In his suo motu statement, the chief minister had said, "The security of the House is our concern. This is part of a dangerous terrorist conspiracy and should be exposed. The state government wants to get an NIA probe done in the matter and police verification of employees and officials working in Vidhan Bhawan."
The opposition had also attacked the ruling BJP for the recovery. Leader of Opposition Ram Govind Chowdhury had even said that it was an attempt to deter SP members to speak in the House.