Patna, Aug. 29: The award of selection grade to a 1998 batch Bihar cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ratn Sanjay has created a flutter in police circles here. Sanjay, who is posted with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), is facing charges of financial irregularities.

A case of alleged financial irregularity was lodged against Sanjay and four other police officers on the directive of the vigilance court in Muzaffarpur.

Peeved at the investigation at snail’s pace against the senior police officials, the vigilance court headed by Arun Kumar Singh had directed the vigilance investigation bureau in Patna to probe the case.

Sanjay’s name figured among the nine IPS officers from 1997 and 1998 batches, who have been awarded the selection grade by the state government recently. Earlier they were in the rank of superintendent of police (SP).

Sources in the state police headquarters said the names of the nine IPS officers were cleared at the meeting of the departmental promotion committee headed by chief secretary Anup Mukerji on July 5 this year.

However, the home (police) department had issued an official notification in this regard on July 19.

“It is quite surprising that a public servant was promoted despite charges of financial irregularities. Vigilance clearance is mandatory for promotion to any public servant. Even vigilance clearance is sought before promoting the university teachers,” a senior IPS officer said.

The IPS officer, under the cover of anonymity, said: “It is a subject of investigation under which circumstances Sanjay was promoted. The state government seems to have adopted double standards with regard to promotion of officers of the All India Service posted in Bihar,” he said.

On the vigilance probe against Sanjay, principal secretary of the vigilance department Ashok Kumar Chauhan said: “I had issued instructions to the vigilance investigation bureau to lodge a case after obtaining the state government’s approval. A vigilance court in Muzaffarpur had directed the bureau to investigate the case.”

Additional director-general (vigilance) Promod Kumar Thakur told The Telegraph: “The bureau has taken up the investigation of the case registered in Muzaffarpur in connection with withdrawal of excess money from the district treasury. The bureau took up the investigation on the directive of the vigilance court.”