The state government issued orders for appointment of senior Excise officer Prasad Surve and Osmanabad SP Datta Karale, as Director Vigilance in the state Excise department, all in the first half of June.
While Surve's orders were issued on June 8, Karale's orders were issued on June 13, Home Department sources said.
Much to his embarrassment, when Karale went to take charge, he was told that Surve had already assumed office a couple of days earlier. Karale is still awaiting a resolution to this mix-up.
The sources said with Surve's appointment, the state government has dumped the convention of having a police officer to head the sensitive vigilance wing.
As per the convention, the vigilance cell head of the Excise Department is an SP or DCP level police officer, the sources said.