Odisha Sub-Collector Arrested On Bribery Charges After Vigilance Raid
Sub-Collector of Dharmagarh held red-handed by Vigilance; Rs 47 lakh more recovered from his official residence.
Bhubaneswar: An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer in Odisha has been arrested on corruption charges after being caught red-handed while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh, officials confirmed on Monday.
Dhiman Chakma, Sub-Collector of Dharmagarh in Kalahandi district, was detained by the state Vigilance Department on Sunday evening during a sting operation at his official residence. He was formally placed under arrest following several hours of interrogation and subsequently produced before a local court, where a hearing on his bail application was underway at the time of reporting.
According to Vigilance officials, Chakma had allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh from the owner of a local stone crusher unit in Jayapatna, threatening administrative action if the payment was not made. The officer was apprehended while accepting the first instalment of Rs 10 lakh.
During the operation, Chakma reportedly counted and verified 26 bundles of cash with both hands before placing the money in his office table drawer. A subsequent chemical test confirmed traces of the bribe on his hands and the drawer surface.
A search of his official residence later uncovered Rs 47 lakh in cash, hidden in various locations within the premises. Vigilance authorities stated that Chakma failed to provide a credible explanation for the seized money.
A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018), marked as Vigilance Cell PS Case No. 6/2025. The investigation is ongoing, with senior Vigilance officials supervising efforts to identify any additional assets amassed through illicit means.
The arrest has sent shockwaves through the state bureaucracy, as authorities continue to intensify their crackdown on corruption in public offices.