The Home Guard's graft-tainted commandant in East Singhbhum is in the eye of a fresh storm for allegedly shielding a bunch of lackeys who extort money from other jawans in his name despite an order from the DG's office for their removal two months ago.

Jagdish Singh, whose name figured as a corrupt officer during a four-hour demonstration by 50-odd jawans at a busy Ranchi square on Thursday, denied graft allegations on Friday, but clammed up when probed on the pending action against his three underlings - Madanlal Choudhary, Nirupati Mahto and Sudarshan Gupta.

Speaking to The Telegraph over phone from Ranchi, state secretary of All India Home Guard Welfare Association Sachidanand Sharma claimed that the trio had become audacious under Singh's unwarranted patronage.

"On February 11, the DG's office had ordered removal of Choudhary, Mahto and Gupta who collect bribe from others for plum postings. But, Singh hasn't lifted a finger against them because the money fills his own coffers," Sharma said, demanding a parallel probe into how the commandant had amassed "huge wealth" disproportionate to his known sources of income.

At the commandant's office in Sakchi, there are five permanent employees in different ranks - two company commanders, a clerk, a havildar and a peon. The district has 805 volunteer jawans, 250 for law and order and 555 in semi-permanent category.

A jawan deployed at the district collectorate as a driver, on the condition of anonymity, said deputation norms were violated every day. "A jawan can remain at a particular posting for a maximum of 120 days. Here, they can stay for more than a year by bribing the officer (read commandant). The amount varies from Rs 3,500 to Rs 12,000 for every posting."

Another jawan at the district transport office said money was also extorted while renewing bond. "The bond needs to be renewed every four years and every time it is a game of money. You have it, you get your bond renewed."

Commandant Singh, who is also in charge of West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan, was not in office when this correspondent paid a visit around 1.30pm.

Speaking over phone, he called the graft allegation baseless and blamed rivalry between parallel associations for the controversy. <>"There is an existing Home Guard association called Home Swayam Sevak Sangh, but some jawans want a new association and feel I am preventing them. That is why they are spreading canards."

Asked why the three tainted jawans were still in the force despite a DG order, Singh told this correspondent: "Your voice is not audible. I will speak later."

He did not take calls through the day.