India, May 20 -- An assistant engineer from A Ward in South Mumbai has been suspended following serious allegations of misconduct and irregularities in managing municipal pay-and-park contracts.

The order, issued by additional municipal commissioner (city) Dr Ashwini Joshi, has suspended Pawan Kawre, pending a preliminary inquiry into multiple irregularities in handling contracts for parking lots at prominent city locations.

The irregularities surfaced after a sting operation at Kala Ghoda recently, where senior officials with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), who went incognito, attempted to park their cars at the pay-and-park facility outside the Jehangir Art Gallery.

The suspension order was issued on April 17, even befo...