PATNA, May 6 -- Bihar government has given prosecution sanction against a serving senior IPS officer, Amit Lodha, who is presently additional director general (ADG) of Bihar state crime record bureau, in a 2022 case involving DA case. The 1998 batch IAS officer, Lodha, who shot to limelight recently after a web series Khakee based on his book Bihar Diaries capturing his experiences as young SP evoked a lot of response, now faces law in a corruption case for his actions during his tenure as Magadh range IG and 'allegedly' using the black money for production of the web series as a cover up. The Special Vigilance Unit (SVU) has lodged an FIR against the officer, on the charge of "earning illicitly ever since his posting in Gaya in connivance with production house Friday Story Teller LLP and others in furtherance of criminal conspiracy and by indulging in private trade illegally which does not commensurate with his legal earnings". At that time, Lodha was promoted as ADG rank, after he moved the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) for delay in his promotion. The CAT ruled in Lodha's favour and later the government gave Lodha his promotion. After the prosecution sanction was received, further investigation has commenced, said a senior SVU official, adding that after obtaining the prosecution sanction from the government, the investigation has proceeded further. The prosecution sanction is required for filling charge-sheet against the officer in the DA case and once the sanction would be granted, the process would move further, added the official. Lodha faced charges under Section 13(1-b) read with 13(2) read with 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended 2018) and 120(B) and 168 of the IPC. Even enforcement directorate (ED) also registered Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) against the IPS officer, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) of 2002 which is now pending. Amit Lodha, who allegedly accumulated assets valued more than 7 crores even as his total income from all legal sources, would not be more than 2 crores in gross without any deductions. Earlier on April 8, the state government also granted prosecution approval of suspended IAS officer, Sanjeev Hans, in connection with the PMLA. Hans, who served as the principal secretary of the energy department and the CMD of the Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited, currently in jail. The ED had submitted a chargesheet in Dec 2024 in a special court, naming five people, including Hans and former MLA Gulab Yadav, in the money laundering case....