Berhampur, March 4: Syndicate of the Berhampur University today suspended Ashok Kumar Panigrahi from the post of chairman postgraduate council on charges of dereliction of duty.

The decision comes in the wake of question paper leakage. Prasanna Kumar Biswasroy of commerce department has been appointed as the new chairman postgraduate council, announced university registrar Bhabani Prasad Rath.

Panigrahi was the custodian of the question papers for University Research Exam Test (URET) of MBA scheduled on February 15 last. But the URET was cancelled after the question paper leak. A committee was formed under the chairmanship of vice- chancellor Deepak Kumar Behera to investigate into it. V-C had issued show cause notice to Panigrahi earlier.

“The syndicate took the decision after the committee consisting of Deepak Kumar Behera, Arun Kumar Dandapat Principal MKCG Medical College and Hospital and Saritanjali Bahidar former Principal Khallikote Autonomous College submitted its interim report. But the investigation process is still on,” said the registrar Berhampur University.