The Election Commission (EC) has asked the state to send a panel of four deputy superintendent of police (DSP)-rank officers to select the officer to be posted as DSP of the Secretariat police sub-division in Patna.

The directive came in the wake of a report Patna district magistrate (DM) Pratima S. Verma submitted to the Election Commission following a controversy over DSP (Secretariat) Ashok Kumar Choudhary's visit to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's residence (allotted to his wife Rabri Devi, a former chief minister).

Choudhary, accompanied by Secretariat police station house officer (SHO) A.K. Jha, had visited former chief minister Lalu's residence on 10 Circular Road in the capital's protected area on the night of September 21 in violation of the EC model code of conduct.

When Patna senior superintendent of police (SSP) Vikas Vaibhav came to know about the visit, he ordered a probe and sought a detailed report from SHO Jha. The two officers had reportedly not informed their seniors about their visit.

Jha's report revealed that DSP Choudhary had called him from his official mobile on September 21 and asked the SHO to accompany him to Lalu's residence. The RJD chief had summoned the duo apprehending violent protest by party workers over distribution of poll tickets. Lalu, according to the report, directed them to remain alert and foil attempts by party workers, if any, to stage protests outside his house.

The SHO had also mentioned about their visit to Lalu's residence in the station diary (which reports about important activities under the jurisdiction of the police station concerned on an hourly basis). SSP Vaibhav submitted the report to DM Verma, who, in turn, sent it to the EC on Wednesday.

Additional chief electoral officer R. Laxmanan, when contacted, said the commission had sought a report from the DM. "The report has already been sent to the EC. The action against the officer concerned would be initiated on the EC directive," said Laxmanan.

The EC model code of conduct came into force following the announcement of dates of the five-phase Assembly elections on September 10. "Visits by public servants to the official residences of politicians or party functions are construed as violation of code of conduct," said a senior IPS officer.