The state government on Monday suspended the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Lucknow, director Shiv Bihari Upadhyay after the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), Hyderabad, confirmed that the suspicious substance recovered in the legislative assembly on July 12 was not the high-potential explosive PETN but silicon oxide (quartz).

Principal secretary, Home, Arvind Kumar said Upadhyay was suspended on the charge of submitting an incomplete, misleading, inauthentic and defective report on recovery of the suspicious substance from Vidhan Bhavan.

The state government has ordered a probe against Upadhyay. Director, Vigilance, Hitesh Awasthi has made the enquiry officer. Upadhyay has attached to Vigilance Establishment till completion of the probe.

Upadhyay not only misguided the top state government functionaries, but also used an explosive detection kit, whose usage date had expired in March 2016, to test the substance, Kumar said.

National Investigation Agency

The test conducted by specialists of the non-explosive wing of the FSL, Lucknow. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) that handed over the investigation into the case sent the sample to CFSL, Hyderabad, for further tests. The Hyderabad laboratory, in its report, stated that the substance not PETN (pentaerythritol tetranitrate) but non- explosive silicon oxide (quartz), Kumar said.

In an inquiry conducted by the state government it found that Upadhyay had indulged in financial irregularities and took salary benefits illegally.

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, Kumar said.

He allegedly submitted fake reports regarding laboratory test and gave benefits to the laboratory employees illegally, the official said.