Jammu, Jan 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) in connection with alleged illegal appointment, regularisation and subsequent promotions made in gross violation of rules and established procedures.
As per a statement, the ACB Jammu registered a formal case FIR No. 01/2026 u/s 5(1)(d) r/w section 5(2) of J&K PC Act, Svt. 2006 & section 120-B RPC at P/S ACB Jammu against R.K. Razdan, then MD SICOP Jammu (now retired), Kunal Choudhary (now Deputy General Manager SICOP, Jammu) and others, into the allegations regarding illegal appointment, regularization and promotion of one Kunal Choudhary, now working as Dy. General Manager, SICOP, it reads.
During the course of verification, it surfaced that R.K. Razdan, then MD SICOP, by abuse of his official position and in criminal conspiracy with others, engaged Kunal Choudhary as Technical Assistant on temporary basis for the period of 06 months without any advertisement in the newspapers/inviting applications from the eligible candidates. This temporary engagement was made on the basis of sole discretion as well as mere pick and choose manner by R.K Razdan, then M.D SICOP, it reads.
The Verification conducted further revealed that after merely 06 months of temporary services, the said Kunal Choudhary (Technical Assistant) was regularized without meeting any existing eligibility criteria and without any policy of Government sanction of regularization, as such, the appointment of Kunal Choudhary was arbitrary, illegal. Thereafter, he was promoted to the post of Manager without issuing any advertisement/without considering seniority of other eligible candidates.
By acting in this manner, R.K Razdan, then MD SICOP Jammu (now retired), by sheer abuse of his official position and under a well knit criminal conspiracy with others as well as Kunal Choudhary, illegally appointed him on the post of Technical Assistant who has subsequently risen to the post of Deputy General Manager SICOP Jammu, arbitrarily as well as through manipulation/contrary to service rules, thereby conferred undue benefit upon the beneficiary in the form of financial gain in salary, allowances and seniority. Further investigation is going on, reads the statement.
