A surprising trend has emerged in Uttarakhand’s ongoing campaign against corruption, with employees accounting for a much larger share of bribery cases compared to senior officers. According to data from the Vigilance Department, a total of 103 government personnel have been arrested for allegedly accepting bribes over the past four years. Of these, 86 are non-gazetted employees, while only 17 are gazetted officers. The figures indicate that employees have been caught in bribery cases nearly five times more often than officers.
The Vigilance Department has been conducting continuous trap operations across the state as part of its anti-corruption drive. Since January 2023, a total of 89 successful trap operations have been carried out, during which government employees and officials were allegedly caught accepting illegal gratification. The department said it is following a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and taking prompt action whenever complaints are received.
Year-wise data shows that in 2023, the Vigilance Department conducted 18 trap operations and arrested 20 accused persons. The highest number of actions was recorded in 2024, when 31 trap operations resulted in the arrest of 38 people. In 2025, 22 trap operations were carried out, leading to 26 arrests. In 2026, 18 trap operations have already been conducted so far, resulting in the arrest of 19 government employees and officials.
Vigilance Director and Additional Director General (ADG) V. Murugeshan said strict action is being taken against government personnel involved in corruption. He appealed to citizens to report any demand for bribes by government employees or officials to the Vigilance Department. He also stressed the need to widely publicise the department’s toll-free helpline number 1064 so that more people can come forward and report corruption without fear.
However, securing convictions in courts has emerged as a major challenge for the Vigilance Department. Departmental data shows that the number of convictions in corruption cases has declined over the past few years. In 2023, accused persons were convicted in 15 bribery-related cases. This number dropped to eight in 2024, while only three cases resulted in convictions in 2025.
Vigilance officials said one of the biggest reasons behind the decline in conviction rates is witnesses turning hostile during court proceedings. In several cases, government witnesses have reportedly changed their statements from their initial versions, weakening the prosecution’s case. This often benefits the accused, leading to acquittals. The Vigilance Department is now reviewing such cases and preparing reports for the government seeking legal and departmental action against officials who change their statements.
Another challenge is the delay in obtaining approval for prosecution after investigations are completed. ADG V. Murugeshan said that files related to around 40 cases, where preliminary confidential inquiries found irregularities, are currently pending at the Secretariat level for prosecution sanction. Further legal proceedings can begin only after approval is granted by the government.
To strengthen investigations into corruption cases, the state government has approved 20 new posts in the Vigilance Department. These include positions such as senior vigilance officers, chief executive officers, assistant engineers, financial experts, IT engineers, revenue officials, draft surveyors and computer programmers. The department has also started the process of hiring technical experts on a contractual basis to improve investigation capabilities.
Vigilance officials said that the use of modern technology and specialised expertise will make corruption investigations more effective. The department’s objective is not only to catch those accepting bribes but also to ensure stronger legal proceedings so that guilty persons receive punishment from courts. Officials said preparations are underway to further intensify the anti-corruption campaign in the state.
