# Ghost Labourers on Paper Helped Siphon Crores from Border Roads Funds, CBI Arrests Three > The CBI has arrested an Assistant Engineer of the Border Roads Organisation in Ladakh and two labour supply agents from Kargil for allegedly embezzling crores of rupees using fake ghost labourer records, following a complaint from the Ministry of Defence. **Type:** article · **Category:** Bihar · **Published:** 2026-07-07 · **Source:** TrendKia **Canonical:** https://trendkia.com/en/bihar/bro-men-pharji-majaduron-ke-nama-para-karoron-ki-herapheri-cbi-ne-tina-aropiyon-ko-dabocha-5487 · **Language:** English **Tags:** CBI, Border Roads Organisation, BRO scam, Ladakh, Kargil, Prevention of Corruption Act, ghost labourer fraud The Central Bureau of Investigation has cracked open a major financial fraud inside the Border Roads Organisation, arresting three people accused of siphoning off crores of rupees using fake labourer records. The case began after a complaint from the Ministry of Defence and has now exposed what investigators describe as a well organised nexus inside an organisation responsible for security infrastructure and construction along sensitive border areas. Those arrested include an Assistant Engineer (Civil) attached to Border Roads Organisation Ladakh, along with two labour supply agents based in Kargil. ## How the ghost labourer scheme worked Investigators found that the arrested Assistant Engineer was the officer in charge of the Khalatse Batalik sector under 81 RCC of the Border Roads Organisation in Ladakh, giving him direct control over approvals for construction work and labourer payments in that region. According to the CBI, this officer conspired with the two Kargil based labour supply agents to run a calculated scheme. The trio prepared documents in the names of workers who did not actually exist on the ground, so called ghost labourers, and used their fabricated wages and allowances to repeatedly draw funds from the organisation's government accounts. In the most damning part of the scheme, the labour agents then transferred this embezzled money straight back into the Assistant Engineer's personal bank account, meaning the paper trail showed labourers being paid while the real money was landing in the officer's own pocket. ## Raids at 26 locations, four FIRs already on record The scale of the alleged fraud becomes clear from the fact that the CBI had already registered four separate FIRs over misuse of funds across different Border Roads Organisation projects before this latest arrest. As part of that investigation, the agency had earlier carried out searches at 26 sensitive locations across the country. Continuing that effort, another major raid was conducted in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, which turned up several important documents and pieces of evidence relevant to the probe. The steadily rising number of FIRs, combined with the fresh raid, points to investigators peeling back layer after layer of the same nexus. ## Charges filed under the Prevention of Corruption Act and more The CBI said all three arrested accused are being produced before a competent court in Ladakh after completing the required legal formalities. They face serious charges of criminal misconduct and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act. In addition, cases have been registered against them under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery, underlining how seriously the agency is treating the case. ## Investigation still active, more arrests possible Senior CBI officials said the entire investigation has been pursued in a highly confidential and aggressive manner following the Ministry of Defence's vigilance and complaint. The agency has made clear that the probe is far from over, with a wide ranging and fast moving investigation into the full episode continuing. In the days ahead, more prominent names connected to the embezzlement scandal could come under legal action, and there is growing speculation that a fifth FIR may soon be registered in the case. ## What this means for you - **Across India:** The case exposes corruption inside a strategically important body like the Border Roads Organisation, raising questions about oversight of taxpayer money spent on road and construction projects in sensitive border regions. - **In Ladakh:** Officials and labour supply agents linked to the Border Roads Organisation in Ladakh and Kargil are likely to face tighter scrutiny going forward, which could mean closer checks on how genuine workers there are paid and documented. ## Questions & Answers ### 1. Who has the CBI arrested in this case? The CBI arrested an Assistant Engineer (Civil) of Border Roads Organisation Ladakh and two labour supply agents from Kargil. ### 2. How was the alleged fraud carried out? The accused created documents in the names of fake or ghost labourers and drew funds from BRO's government accounts as their wages and allowances, with the money later transferred into the Assistant Engineer's personal bank account. ### 3. Whose complaint led to this case being registered? The case was registered following a complaint from the Ministry of Defence. ### 4. Which sector was the arrested Assistant Engineer in charge of? He was the officer in charge of the Khalatse Batalik sector under 81 RCC of Border Roads Organisation in Ladakh. ### 5. How many FIRs have been registered in this case so far? The CBI has already registered four FIRs over fund misuse in different BRO projects, and there is speculation a fifth FIR could follow. ### 6. How many locations did the CBI raid? The CBI had searched 26 sensitive locations across the country, and conducted another major raid in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. ### 7. What charges have been filed against the accused? They face charges of criminal misconduct and bribery under the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with criminal conspiracy, cheating, criminal breach of trust and forgery under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. ### 8. Could there be more arrests in this case? The CBI says the investigation is ongoing and more people connected to the embezzlement scandal could face action in the coming days. --- _TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.. Machine-readable view; canonical HTML at the URL above._