Sikkim Vigilance Police arrested a government junior engineer and a local trader on Friday, March 13, 2026, alleging they misappropriated funds meant for installing crash barriers along JN Road (the Gangtok–Nathu La road). The two were taken into custody after a probe found evidence of false billing, substandard work approvals and a wider scheme to siphon government money allocated under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP).
The arrests follow an FIR filed in December 2025 and a written complaint that alleged serious irregularities in the execution of the crash-barrier project. According to a Vigilance Police statement, inquiries showed that the trader — who supplies materials to government projects — and certain unidentified officials in the Roads & Bridges Department entered into a criminal conspiracy to defraud the state by presenting fake supply bills and approving deficient work.
Investigators say the Roads & Bridges Department was assigned the job in 2020 to install crash barriers on a stretch of JN Road to protect civilian vehicles, defence convoys and local residents. JN Road, which links Gangtok with Tsomgo Lake and the Nathu La pass, sees heavy tourist traffic in peak season as well as daily movement by Army units and officials, the police noted.
The Vigilance probe alleges that, despite funds being released, no crash barriers were actually installed. The police described this as a blatant disregard for public safety that also compromised defence concerns along the border axis. The accused face charges that include cheating, criminal breach of trust, using false documents as genuine, criminal misappropriation and falsification of books of account.
“Further investigations are in progress and more arrests would follow,” the Sikkim Vigilance Police said, underlining its commitment to uphold integrity and transparency in public administration. The case remains under active investigation as authorities pursue additional suspects and evidence.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/vigilance-police-arrest-je-trader-in-jn-road-crash-barrier-corruption-case
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