Ranchi, Feb. 21: The state government will now have to take a stand on the public spat between chief secretary P.P. Sharma and inspector-general of police Amitabh Chaudhary. For the home department is understood to have recommended the IG’s suspension for “violating service conduct rules.”

In his note to chief minister Madhu Koda, home secretary Sudhir Tripathy has accused Chaudhary of “violating the all-India service code of conduct, indiscipline and insubordination”.

The file is awaiting Koda’s approval. Sources in the chief minister’s office said he would take up the issue tomorrow.

The home department’s recommendation, Tripathy said, had the consent of state DGP V. D. Ram.

Chaudhary has been found to have violated Section 9 of the All India Service (conduct) Rules (unauthorised communication of information) by leaking his report against the chief secretary to the Press even before it reached additional director-general of police G.S. Rath.

“The IG’s action of giving a report against the chief secretary suppressing the facts and making misleading and mischievous comments puts a question mark on his motive and professional integrity,” the home secretary’s note said.

Tripathy, after discussing the matter with the DGP and the ADGP, pointed out that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) does not lodge a case. Rather, it accepts a case for investigation when it is referred to it by competent authorities.

“The IG’s action in seeking information for lodging a case against the chief secretary exposed his doubtful conduct,” Tripathy said in his note, adding his actions smacked of “indiscipline” and “insubordination”.

The home secretary’s note said Chaudhary should be put under suspension immediately and he be made to face departmental proceedings.

The ongoing row between Sharma and Chaudhary has attracted a fare share of adverse comments.

While former chief minister Babulal Marandi’s JVM maintained that both officers should be removed and inquiries launched against them, the BJP’s Raghuvir Das sought a “probe” against the chief secretary based on the IG’s allegations.

Also, a section of the cricketing fraternity came out with statements — not entirely surprising since the sport is at the core of the dispute.

Former Test cricketer Ramesh Saxena and former Ranji players Ujjwal Das, Kuldip Singh, Prateek Narayan and Aditya Verma have urged the chief minister and the sports minister to initiate an inquiry against Chaudhary.

They alleged black marketing of tickets during the India-Pakistan ODI in 2005 at Jamshedpur and held him responsible as president of the Jharkhand Cricket Association. “The JSCA had sold around 32,000 tickets for the 24,000-capacity stadium,” they alleged.

When contacted, Chaudhary said the players making the allegations were discredited and the association would “deal with them”. As for the home department’s recommendation to suspend him, the IG said he had full faith in the government to do justice.