Ex-SICOP MD, Others Booked by ACB for Abuse of Office, Criminal Conspiracy
ACB Registers FIR Against Senior SICOP Officials in Illegal Appointment and Promotion Case
Jammu, January 29: The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Jammu has registered a formal case against senior officials of the Jammu unit of the State Industrial Development Corporation (SICOP) for their alleged involvement in illegal appointments, arbitrary regularisation and unlawful promotions, carried out in violation of established rules and procedures.
According to an official statement, FIR No. 01/2026 has been registered at Police Station ACB Jammu under Sections 5(1)(d) read with 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, Svt. 2006 and Section 120-B RPC against R.K. Razdan, the then Managing Director of SICOP Jammu (now retired), Kunal Choudhary, presently working as Deputy General Manager SICOP Jammu, and other accused persons.
The case stems from allegations regarding the illegal appointment, subsequent regularisation and promotion of Kunal Choudhary within SICOP. During the course of verification, it emerged that R.K. Razdan, while functioning as Managing Director, allegedly abused his official position and, in criminal conspiracy with others, engaged Kunal Choudhary as a Technical Assistant on a temporary basis for a period of six months without issuing any advertisement or inviting applications from eligible candidates.
The verification further revealed that the temporary engagement was made purely on the basis of discretion and in a pick-and-choose manner, bypassing transparent recruitment procedures and established norms.
It was also found that after completion of just six months of temporary service, Kunal Choudhary was regularised despite not fulfilling the prescribed eligibility criteria and in the absence of any government policy or sanction permitting such regularisation. The ACB stated that the regularisation was arbitrary and illegal in nature.
Subsequently, he was promoted to the post of Manager without issuance of any advertisement and without considering the seniority or claims of other eligible candidates. Over time, he rose to the position of Deputy General Manager SICOP Jammu.
The ACB has alleged that through these actions, R.K. Razdan, in connivance with other officials and the beneficiary, conferred undue advantage upon Kunal Choudhary in the form of financial gains, salary, allowances and seniority, thereby causing wrongful loss to the institution and undermining the integrity of the recruitment and promotion process.
The Bureau has stated that the accused officials acted in a well-knit criminal conspiracy, abusing their official positions and manipulating service rules to facilitate the illegal appointment and career progression of the beneficiary.
Further investigation in the case is underway to ascertain the full extent of the irregularities, identify all persons involved, and collect additional evidence. The ACB has reiterated its commitment to take strict action against corruption and misuse of official authority in government and public sector institutions.
