New Delhi, Jan. 28: Defence minister Manohar Parrikar has asked the CBI to probe the wealth and assets of two highly decorated serving major generals, one of whom is the chief of staff in the Calcutta-based Bengal area and the other is posted at Army Headquarters in New Delhi.

This is the first time such an investigation has been ordered at such senior levels in the military. The officers were being considered for promotion to the rank of lieutenant general.

One of the officers threw a party earlier this week to celebrate his imminent promotion. He was expecting to take over as the director-general of one of the army's important non-combat wings.

The approvals accorded by the army to the promotions of Maj. Gen. Ashok Kumar, the chief of staff in the Bengal area command headquartered in Calcutta and Maj. Gen. Surender Singh Lamba have been withheld pending the investigation.

Maj. Gen. Kumar was officiating as the GoC, Bengal area, from April 1, 2015, to December 15, 2015 -- a highly unusual tenure for an acting office. The Bengal area is responsible for granting permissions for all events in the Maidan.

Neither officer could be contacted by this newspaper for comment.

Parrikar asked for the probe after being given a report by the CBI, said agency sources. Sources in the defence ministry said Parrikar asked the CBI to go ahead with its investigation apparently because the army did not by itself initiate proceedings. The ministry received first complaints from within the army in August last year.

One of the officers was also connected to a senior in Army Headquarters but the army vehemently denied that the connection was illegal and transactional.

Both officers are highly decorated. They were awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medals (AVSMS) for highly distinguished services in the Republic Day honours last year. Maj. Gen. Lamba, of the Army Ordnance Corps, was also awarded a Sena Medal. Maj. Gen. Kumar is from the Army Supply Corps (ASC) and officiated as the general officer commanding, Bengal area, before Lt Gen. Rajeev Tewari took over.

The Bengal area headquarters in Calcutta is under the Eastern Command headquartered in Fort William. It is a static formation, unlike corps, divisions and brigades that are mobile formations. Its primary responsibility is to aid the state government in emergencies such as riots and natural disasters but it reports to the Eastern Command.

The major generals were among 33 others of the same rank interviewed by an army Special Promotion Board (SPB) last year for positions for three lieutenant generals. The board cleared them but the ministry and the Cabinet Committee on Appointments have not sanctioned their promotions.

Agency sources said the CBI would investigate all the movable and immovable assets of the two officers. The ministry believes it has enough evidence to suspect they have assets disproportionate to their known sources of income. Military officers can have only one source of income: their salaries.

One possible line of investigation is looking into whether money had changed hands at the time of the promotion board during the tenure of a former Military Secretary (MS) in Army Headquarters. The MS is responsible for all transfers, postings and promotions. That MS has since retired from the army.

When the whiff of scandal surrounding promotions hit first in September last year, the army had officially denied there was anything suspicious in the matter.