Jodhpur, September 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Jodhpur Police have arrested seven people and detained another in connection with an investigation into alleged irregularities and serious construction defects in the new Rajasthan High Court building in Jodhpur.
Police Commissioner Anshuman Bhomia said the arrests followed a detailed probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which examined the roles of the construction company, firms and individuals associated with the fire-safety system, and officials responsible for supervising the project.
Construction of the new High Court building began in 2011 and the structure was handed over in 2019. Police said several defects were reported after the handover, including the collapse of false ceilings, a fire in Courtroom No. 2, cracks in the central dome and damage to pillars.
IIT Jodhpur, IIT Bombay and PTMES subsequently carried out audits and surveys to assess the condition of the building. Following their findings, police constituted an SIT, which collected samples from the structure for forensic examination and sought expert opinions.
The investigation raised questions over the role of companies supplying construction materials, agencies involved in executing the project and individuals responsible for installing the fire-safety system. The role of officials of the Rajasthan State Road Development and Construction Corporation (RSRDC), tasked with overseeing and supervising the project, also came under scrutiny.
According to Bhomia, investigators found evidence pointing to an alleged criminal breach of trust involving officials.
Police formed 12 special teams and four cyber teams to trace suspects. Raids were conducted across Rajasthan and in Alwar, Delhi-NCR, Gurugram, Noida, Patiala and Kapurthala in Punjab, and Haridwar in Uttarakhand.
Varendra Garg, owner of VCL Group/Varendra Construction Company, the primary construction firm associated with the project, was detained in Haridwar late Monday night. Police said he had been changing locations to evade arrest and was traced through technical surveillance and inter-state coordination. A Rs 50,000 reward had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
Those arrested include former RSRDC Assistant Engineer Jitendra Sharma, former Project Manager Naveen Rai, Rameshwar Dayal and Gopal Lal, who were associated with the fire-safety system installation, former RSRDC official Deepak Mittal, now an Executive Engineer in Jaipur, and former Assistant Engineer Ajay Kishan Mutha.
Police said the accused have been taken on remand and are being questioned. Further action may follow if the investigation establishes the involvement of additional individuals, officials or companies.
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