A vigilance court on Monday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of senior Congress MLA and former Bihar assembly speaker Sadanand Singh and 15 others in a case related to irregularities in appointments of clerks between 2000 and 2005.

Singh was the speaker of the state assembly during the period.

Designated vigilance judge Ajit Kumar Sinha turned down the bail plea of Singh and 15 others after the state vigilance counsel strongly opposed their prayers.

The state vigilance bureau is probing alleged irregularities and illegal appointment of clerks at junior grade by the then Speaker "in connivance with the officials of assembly secretariat."

The bureau has named 42 officials, including Sadanand Singh, who was once president of the state Congress unit, the then secretary of the assembly J P Pal, the then deputy secretary Rajkishore Rawat, the then deputy secretary N K Singh and then under secretary B Prasad among others.