Vigilance Police arrest JE, trader in JN Road crash barrier corruption case

Further investigations in progress, more arrests to follow

GANGTOK,: Sikkim Vigilance Police on Friday arrested a government junior engineer and a trader for allegedly misappropriating government funds sanctioned for installing crash barriers along JN Road (Gangtok-Nathu La road).

In a media statement, the Vigilance Police said the two persons were arrested on charges of swindling huge public funds, using false bills of supply of materials, and approving substandard execution of public works.

The Sikkim Vigilance Police initiated investigations on basis of a FIR registered in December 2025, following receipt of a written complaint alleging gross irregularities while executing works related to installation of crash barriers along the JN Road. It was alleged that a local trader engaged in the business of government supplies and certain unknown officials of Roads & Bridges department entered in a criminal conspiracy to defraud the government by siphoning off funds allocated by the Government of India under BADP for the installation of crash barriers.

Investigations carried out revealed that in the year 2020, the Roads & Bridges department was assigned the job of installing crash barriers along a particular stretch of JN Road for the safety of vehicles, defence personnel and the general public travelling along the axis.

The JN Road connects Gangtok with Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La, and is frequented by thousands of tourist vehicles during peak tourism season besides daily movement of Army vehicles, government officials, and local residents.

“However, in abject disregard of the safety concerns of the public, without installing any crash barrier, the corrupt engineers in connivance with the corrupt contractor and supplier, dishonestly and fraudulently swindled off the allocated funds. Their actions also severely undermined the concerns of the defence services guarding the borders,” said the Sikkim Vigilance Police.

The accused officials, contractor and the supplier are liable for committing offences related with cheating, criminal breach of trust, use of false documents as genuine, criminal misappropriation and falsification of books of account, said the Vigilance Police.

Further investigations are in progress and more arrests would follow in coming days, said the Sikkim Vigilance Police, recording its commitment to uphold integrity, transparency, and probity in public administration.