The home department has issued a notice to suspended Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Alok Kumar, asking him to present his defence within 15 days on the charges levelled on him on the basis of the findings of the probe initiated by the economic offences unit.

Kumar, a 1997-batch officer of Jammu and Kashmir cadre, has been accused of demanding Rs 10 crore as extortion from Tunnaji Pandey, a representative of a liquor manufacturing company.

The notice issued by the home department’s joint secretary, Rajiv Ranjan Sinha, on Monday said the government had decided to initiate departmental proceedings against him under the provision of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rule, 1969 and sub-rule 8 (5).

Kumar has been asked to present his defence before the department within the stipulated period, failing which action would be initiated. “Only those charges would be probed, whose defence would not be acceptable in the course of defence,” the notice stated.

The home department’s notice has a list of 13 witnesses and the evidence gathered against Kumar to substantiate the charges. The list of the witnesses include two deputy superintendents of police, four sub-inspectors and few constables deputed in the offices of the DIG (Saran) and the SP (Siwan).

Kumar had earlier served as Patna senior superintendent of police. He was the DIG (Saran) from March 28, 2012 to January 20, 2013. He is now posted in the office of the additional director-general of Bihar Military Police. He was earlier suspended on the recommendation of director-general of police Abhayanand.