CBI arrests three in connection with BRO fund misappropriation case
New Delhi, July 8
The Central Bureau of Investigation arrested three accused, including one Assistant Engineer of BRO, Ladakh and two labour supply agents of Kargil, for indulging in misappropriation of funds of Border Road Organisation, the probe agency said on Tuesday.
This comes after CBI earlier conducted searches at 26 locations across 11 States and Union Territories in connection with 4 criminal cases pertaining to the misappropriation of funds of BRO.
Accoding to a release, the 11 States and Union Territories include Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Several incriminating documents and digital evidence were recovered during the searches, the agency had said.
These cases relate to irregularities in the deployment of casual labourers and payments released in the name of fake casual labourers in the Project Vijayak and Yojak in the UT of Ladakh.
As per the release, four FIRs were registered in this connection based on criminal complaints lodged by the Ministry of Defence, based on an internal enquiry conducted by the Technical Board of Officers of BRO.
In its release, CBI had said they are committed to conducting a comprehensive investigation in these cases in the quickest possible time.
The offence relates to misappropriation of government funds, cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy under the IPC and the offence of criminal misconduct and bribery under the PC Act, 1988. A total of 10 officers of the rank of Lt Col, Major and Engineers, along with certain private persons, have been named in the FIRs, the release added.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Very sad to see such scams happening in sensitive areas like Kargil where every rupee is needed for development. The real problem is that these middlemen and engineers think they are above the law. Strong deterrent needed - public hanging of corrupt officials? Maybe not, but definitely life imprisonment.
Good that CBI is investigating but why did it take so long? The internal BRO inquiry must have known about this for months. Also, 10 officers named including Lt Cols and Majors - that's serious. Military personnel involved in such scams tarnish the entire army's image. No excuse for this.
This is what happens when there is no proper oversight. Fake casual labourers getting paid while actual labourers often wait months for their wages? Shameful. But I hope the investigation also checks if local people in Ladakh were actually employed or if all work went to outsiders. Need transparency.
Classic case of the 'system' failing. 26 locations across 11 states shows how widespread this network is. But I have seen this before - they will arrest a few junior engineers, make headlines, and then quietly let the case fade. Need to recover the money and blacklist the companies involved permanently.
Finally some accountability! But remember - BRO does incredible work building roads in some of the most difficult terrains on earth. These corrupt elements should not overshadow the hard work of thousands of honest BRO employees who work in extreme conditions to connect our borders. Hope justice is swift.
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