Patna: Senior cop D. Amarkesh and National Commission for Women member Sushma Sahu had a heated exchange of words over protocol here on Monday.

Sahu alleged Amarkesh doesn't have the courtesy to accord her respect, or even greet her. The officer - Patna superintendent of police (central) - retorted that he did not have to as she wasn't his senior.

Sahu had gone to additional director-general-CID Vinay Kumar's office in connection with a case concerning Jamui district magistrate Dharmendra Kumar.

Amarkesh and other senior officers were sitting in the chamber.

As Sahu entered, Vinay introduced her to the others as part of protocol. An official present in the chamber said Sahu, who had not met IPS officer Amarkesh earlier, lost her cool meeting him.

She said Amarkesh did not follow the protocol of speaking to someone who holds a constitutional post.

Amarkesh in turn shot back: "I do not need to greet you because you are not my senior."

The source of the trouble dates a few weeks back.

Sahu told The Telegraph: "Patna police was looking into an elopement case of a minor girl. On the request of the girl's family, I met Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Manu Maharaaj and he assured us to take up the case. Two weeks ago, the SSP was going on leave and gave me the cellphone number of D. Amarkesh, asking me to speak to him.

"Around a week ago, I called D. Amarkesh and introduced myself as National Commission for Women member. The SP, however, gave me the cold shoulder and did not even greet me with Jai Hind," said Sahu, a former ward councillor and BJP women's cell president who was appointed to the National Commission for Women three years ago.

She alleged that when she asked the officer to at least greet her, he said she was not his senior and it wasn't required to greet her.

She also said Amarkesh disconnected the phone call and did not respond to any more of her calls.

Amarkesh - who has the reputation of being a soft-spoken officer in the police administration - in turn claimed that the women's commission member was trying to blow up a non-issue.

"I have informed my seniors what I had to," he told The Telegraph.

A source said that Amarkesh had told Sahu that he had a recording of the phone conversation and was ready to reveal how roughly she spoke to him.

Sahu in turn said she too had a recording.

Neither of them, however, made their clip public.