Deputy superintendent of police, Sanjay Bharti, finally joined Delhi's anti-corruption branch (ACB) amid controversies over the appointment of police officers from Bihar.

Bharti had earlier refused to take up the new assignment on health grounds.

Arwal superintendent of police Manavjit Singh Dhillon said on Wednesday: "Bharti is not working with us at present. He has been relieved after he joined the ACB, Delhi, on the recommendation of the state police headquarters."

Sources in the headquarters said Bharti, a 2000-batch Bihar Police Service officer, joined the ACB two days ago. He informed the police headquarters about this on Tuesday.

Five others - Zakir Hussain, Santosh Kumar, Hare Krishna Mandal (all inspectors), Bipin Kumar and Sanjay Kumar (sub-inspectors) - had joined the ACB, Delhi on May 31 and subsequently conveyed the message to headquarters.

The state director general, P.K. Thakur, had clarified that the state government's decision to send five police officials from the state to the ACB was lawful and didn't violate any section of Police Act, 1888.

On the contrary, Delhi joint commissioner of police (anti-corruption branch), M.K. Meena, in a letter to the Delhi lieutenant governor, raised objections to the appointment of five Bihar police officers.

Meena had said the appointments by the Aam Aadmi Party-led government were in violation of section 3 of the act and had also sought the informed the Union Home Ministry in taking action.

According to the Police Act, 1888, for any transfer and posting of police officers between the two states, approval from the Centre was needed. However, during the appointment of the Bihar police officers in the ACB, neither the Delhi government, nor Bihar approached the centre for approval, the joint commissioner's letter said.

The decision to deploy Bihar police officers on deputation for three years was taken during a meeting between Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar and his Delhi counterpart Kejriwal in New Delhi early this year. A formal request was sent to the Bihar government in March this year.