CBI raids 26 locations in BRO fund scam

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday searched 26 locations in 11 states and Union territories as part of investigations into four cases of alleged misappropriation of Border Road Organisation (BRO) funds.

The searches followed FIRs registered by the CBI against 10 officers, including those holding the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel, Major, and Engineer, as well as several private individuals, according to officials.

Officials said the searches took place in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Nagaland.

“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,” a CBI spokesperson said in a statement.

The FIRs were based on complaints from the Ministry of Defence, following an internal inquiry by the BRO's Technical Board of Officers.

“The offence relates to misappropriation of Government funds, cheating, forgery, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy under IPC (Indian Penal Code), and offence of criminal misconduct and bribery under PC (Prevention of Corruption) Act, 1988,” the spokesperson said.