Tainted SDO Manoj Sharma Reappointed Sector-26 Market Committee Secretary

• by Akanksha Mishra
• 2026-10-24 20:12:00

A major administrative controversy has erupted in the Union Territory of Chandigarh following the administration's decision to reinstate Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Manoj Kumar Sharma to the key executive post of Secretary, Market Committee, Sector-26. The contentious appointment has drawn sharp scrutiny from governance observers and legal circles, as Sharma is actively facing trial before a Special CBI Court in a serious disproportionate assets (DA) case. The federal investigative agency had booked the official alongside his wife after uncovering unexplained wealth accumulated significantly beyond their declared legal sources of income. Despite an ongoing judicial trial and previous probes linking his office to extortionate bribery allegations, the UT administration moved ahead with his reassignment, defending the controversial order as an interim administrative arrangement.

Anatomy of the CBI Charge Sheet: 53.7% Disproportionate Assets Unearthed

The federal probe into Sharma's financial dealings established an extensive gap between his legitimate earnings and verified assets:

Disproportionate Wealth Accumulation: According to the formal charge sheet submitted by the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Special Court, Sharma and his wife accumulated 53.70 percent more assets than their known and lawful sources of income during the check period between 2016 and 2017.

Wife Named as Co-Accused: The CBI named Sharma's spouse as a co-accused in the corruption case, citing joint asset ownership, suspicious banking transactions, and unaccounted financial holdings.

Financial Forensics by CBI: The agency substantiated its findings after scrutinizing bank accounts, fixed deposit trails, real estate acquisitions, and statutory filings gathered from the Income Tax Department.

Genesis of the Probe: The Fruit Mandi Bribery Scandal and Aftermath

The disproportionate assets probe emerged directly from an undercover graft trap laid by the CBI inside the Sector-26 wholesale market:

Weekly Extortion Trap: Nearly two years ago, the CBI busted a structured bribery racket operating inside the Sector-26 Market Committee during Sharma’s previous tenure as Secretary, arresting his official driver Sabar Ali and staff employee Rahul Yadav.

Extortion Allegations from Vendors: The duo was caught red-handed demanding and accepting a recurring bribe of ₹12,000 per week from a local fruit vendor in exchange for permitting smooth commercial operations inside the mandi.

Complaint Linked to Secretary: While the initial complainant alleged direct complicity and patronage by the then-Secretary Manoj Kumar Sharma, the immediate bribery investigation did not uncover conclusive prosecutable evidence regarding his direct role in that specific transaction.

Trigger for Disproportionate Wealth Probe: Following the graft trap, federal investigators initiated an exhaustive background assessment into Sharma’s personal finances, which subsequently culminated in the registration of a regular disproportionate assets FIR and subsequent court charge-sheeting.

Mounting Questions Over Administrative Ethics and Temporary Postings

The administration's move to reinstate an officer facing active anti-corruption proceedings to the exact same commercial post has drawn sharp public criticism:

Concerns Over Conflict of Interest: Legal experts and trade bodies have questioned the ethics of reinstating a charge-sheeted officer to oversee regulatory compliances, vendor licensing, and revenue management at Sector-26 Market Committee.

Administration Cites 'Temporary Arrangement': In response to the growing public backlash, the Chandigarh Administration maintained that the posting has been executed strictly on a temporary, stop-gap basis to prevent routine administrative paralysis.

Demands for Governance Review: Mandi stakeholders and civic watchdogs continue to demand an immediate review of the order, calling for transparent public service norms that keep tainted officials away from sensitive, revenue-heavy commercial posts until courts deliver a final verdict.

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