RDSO Engulfed in Corruption Scandal: Deliberate Falsehood Triggers Legal Face-Off before The Court

Admin

The instant matter pertains to a grave instance of #administrative-misconduct, willful suppression of material facts, and deliberate subversion of regulatory procedures within the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (#RDSO), culminating in a situation wherein #RDSO and the #RailwayBoard now stand at #judicial crossroads, opposing each other before the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta in a matter emanating from the same core issue but through entirely contradictory claims.

Background and Approval Process

The item in question is the #BrakeDisc used in Linke Hofmann Busch (#LHB) coaches—a safety-critical component duly classified as a “RDSO-controlled item”. This categorisation mandates that all procurements across #IndianRailways be strictly limited to #vendors formally approved by RDSO under a codified Quality Assurance Plan (#QAP). M/s #JWL KOVIS India Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata was one such #vendor, granted approval by RDSO on 16.05.2023.

Also Read with: “Explosive Corruption Scandal Rocks RDSO: #Director Undermines Own Department, Endangers Rail-Safety”

As per the approved QAP, use of imported brake disc castings sourced exclusively from the firm’s #OEM, M/s #Kovis, Slovenia, was mandatory. Notably, standard prerequisites of type #testing and field #trials were waived during this #approval process, on the grounds that the OEM’s casting had undergone prior evaluation in related cases. This procedural relaxation, though exceptional, was granted. It’s a different matter that under identical situation, such exceptional relaxation/waiver was not granted to two other similarly situated firms, the issue that will be dealt separately.

Also watch & listen to this video on the topic: #Ep94: #RDSO का कारनामा—घातक है मुद्दों की अनदेखी, भाग-5

From Approval & Perpetration of Fraud

However, almost immediately following their approval, the said firm submitted a bid in response to a #Tender opened on 27.05.2023, wherein they quoted for brake discs manufactured using local, untested, and unapproved castings from their facility at Jabalpur—a clear deviation from their approved QAP.

Subsequently, across multiple tenders floated by various #ZonalRailways and #ProductionUnits (ZRs/PUs), the firm adopted a similar approach—repeatedly quoting for and supplying brake discs fabricated using local casting, in total disregard of the RDSO-approved QAP. This act constituted both misrepresentation and material concealment, thereby compromising public #Safety and violating procurement norms.

CVC Investigation & Emergence of Inconsistencies

Following a formal #complaint, the Central Vigilance Commission (#CVC) initiated an investigation into tenders finalised by Integral Coach Factory (#ICF), Modern Coach Factory (#MCF), Rail Coach Factory (#RCF), and one of the Zonal Railway—East Central Railway (#ECR). It was alleged that, despite approval premised on imported casting, the firm was consistently quoting and supplying indigenous local untested and unproven casting. A material indicator of deception was the declaration of 90% local content by the firm—a figure incongruent with the mandatory use of imported casting, which alone constitutes over 40% of the total component value.

False Reporting by RDSO Officer

During the course of the investigation, the #Vigilance Department of ICF sought clarification on 02.04.2024 from Mr. Sudhir Singh—Director/Carriage/RDSO—regarding the source of the brake disc casting being supplied by the firm. In response, Mr. Sudhir Singh, Director/Carriage, under extraneous influence and with the tacit collusion of his superiors, namely Executive Director (Carriage) and Principal Executive Director/Rolling Stock, issued a letter dated 05.04.2024 stating:

“The brake disc casting (brake plate casting) is not being made at #JWLKOVIS India Pvt Ltd at Jabalpur; the brake disc casting is sourced from their OEM i.e., #Kovis-Slovenia as per the QAP”.

This statement, now proven to be categorically false, was issued without conducting any factual verification or field inspection, and served to deliberately mislead the investigation initiated at the behest of the CVC. In truth, the #firm had been quoting and supplying locally manufactured casting from #Jabalpur from as early as 27.03.2023, in flagrant violation of the QAP.

As a direct result of the false statement, the course of the Railway Board’s investigation was seriously misdirected. Consequently, the Board issued a Show-Cause Notice to the firm on 30.04.2025—not for violating the approved Quality Assurance Plan (QAP), but paradoxically, for quoting 90% local content while allegedly supplying imported casting. It is pertinent to highlight that Modern Coach Factory (MCF) had, on two separate occasions, written to Mr. Sudhir Singh, Director/Carriage/RDSO, alerting him to the anomaly in the local content declaration and flagging potential misconduct in the firm’s tender submissions. Yet, Mr. Sudhir Singh now conveniently denies receipt of those communications and, instead, proceeded to mislead the entire investigation by reiterating falsehoods through his letter dated 05.04.2024.

Subsequent Admission & Corrective Action

Meanwhile, a parallel investigation was initiated by RDSO. During this process, the Vigilance Wing uncovered glaring discrepancies and suspected intentional misrepresentation in the earlier reply dated 05.04.2024, which had been sent to ICF. Consequently, a follow-up enquiry was formally initiated through Vigilance Note dated 25.07.2024, seeking a reconfirmation on the same matter.

As the fabricated narrative began to unravel under the weight of mounting #documentary-evidence and scrutiny, the vendor—under pressure—admitted to the unauthorized use of untested indigenous brake disc casting, in clear and blatant violation of the approved Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). In light of this admission and the collapse of the false version previously advanced, Mr. Sudhir Singh was compelled to retract his earlier misleading assertion made via letter dated 05.04.2024.

Left with no defensible position, the RDSO Carriage Directorate, in a rare act of corrective integrity, downgraded the firm’s status from ‘Approved’ to ‘Developmental’—a decision necessitated by the repeated and serious breaches of safety protocols. This downgradation order is presently under judicial scrutiny before the Hon’ble High Court.

Judicial Irony: Contradictory Litigations Arising from Same Facts

What has since transpired is a bizarre judicial scenario. The firm has challenged:

  • The Downgradation Order issued by RDSO on 02.01.2025—subsequently upheld by the Appellate Authority on 06.06.2025—was based on a clear violation of the approved Quality Assurance Plan (QAP). The vendor, in a rare and unequivocal admission, conceded to having supplied untested and unproven locally manufactured brake castings from their Jabalpur facility, in place of the pre-approved, tested imported castings from the OEM.
  • Separately, the Railway Board issued a Show-Cause Notice dated 30.04.2025 to the firm, challenging its #declaration of 90% local content despite its stated reliance on imported castings from the OEM. Notably, this claim of imported casting—on which the Board’s notice was premised—was factually incorrect and stemmed from a misleading and false statement made by the Director/Carriage/RDSO in his letter dated 05.04.2024.

As a result, both RDSO and the Railway Board have been arrayed as #Respondents in separate petitions before the same Hon’ble High Court, each defending diametrically opposite factual premises—RDSO contending the use of local casting in contravention of QAP, and the Railway Board presuming use of imported casting inconsistent with declared local content.

This institutional contradiction, a consequence of one deceitful letter dated 05.04.2024, has created an unprecedented situation in the 172-year history of Indian Railways, bringing both #technical and #administrative wings to public and judicial embarrassment.

Conclusion & Legal Implications

The present matter exemplifies gross abuse of official position, collusion between officials and vendor, and irreparable damage to institutional credibility. That such a situation could arise due to one officer’s deliberate misrepresentation, made possible through the silent complicity of his superior officers, is a matter of grave concern and systemic failure.

The #conduct or #SudhirSense of Mr. Sudhir Singh, and the willful dereliction of duty by #ED/Carriage and #PED/RS, has precipitated a judicial anomaly, wasted public resources, and jeopardised the safety of railway operations.

It is imperative that this matter be thoroughly investigated by the #CBI and that appropriate disciplinary, administrative, and criminal action be initiated against those responsible under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, the Indian Penal Code, and applicable service rules governing central public servants.

Blatant Non-Compliance & Continued Favoritism in Gross Violation of Judicial and Administrative Discipline

The act of undue favouritism and abuse of authority does not end with the initial misconduct. Despite the firm being downgraded for proven and admitted violations, the pattern of systemic shielding continues. The firm, after being downgraded through a reasoned and fact-based order, preferred an appeal. The Appellate Authority, i.e., Special DG/VD/RDSO, after due consideration, rejected the appeal and upheld the downgradation order.

The firm then approached the Hon’ble High Court, Kolkata. In its interim judgment dated 05.05.2025, the Hon’ble Court, on purely procedural grounds—absence of personal hearing—quashed the earlier appellate order and directed that a fresh order be passed after granting a personal hearing. The case was then adjourned.

It is pertinent to note that:
  • There exists no explicit legal-mandate requiring a personal hearing at the appellate stage in such cases.
  • The appellant never sought a personal hearing at any point during the original proceedings.

Nevertheless, in absolute compliance with the Hon’ble Court’s directive, the Appellate Authority conducted a personal hearing and issued a fresh and speaking order dated 06.06.2025, again upholding the original order of downgradation based on irrefutable facts and the firm’s own admissions.

Despite the fresh order being valid, lawful, and undisputed, the same is wilfully not being implemented. The firm continues to be reflected as “approved” in the #UVAM portal, thereby misleading all Zonal Railways and Production Units to treat it as eligible for bulk procurement—a consequence directly affecting safety, compliance, and procurement fairness.

To justify this continued non-compliance, Mr. Sudhir Singh, Director/Carriage, RDSO, has taken recourse to a deliberate misrepresentation of facts by falsely claiming that the matter is “under sub-judice.” It must be stated, in no uncertain terms, that:

  • There is no stay granted by the Hon’ble Court on the fresh order dated 06.06.2025.
  • The fresh order has not been challenged, and
  • The Court has made no observations whatsoever against the subsequent order passed post personal hearing.

This misuse of the term “sub-judice” is nothing but a malicious and calculated act of misdirection, intended solely to provide an extended umbrella of illegitimate protection to the errant firm. Such conduct not only undermines the sanctity of judicial pronouncements but constitutes a flagrant dereliction of administrative duty and contemptuous disregard for legal finality.

Strict action is warranted against the concerned officers for wilful defiance of lawful orders and misuse of judicial terminology to shield a defaulting vendor in violation of public trust and institutional integrity.