Odisha: IAS officer booked in bribery case; ₹57 lakh seized

Dharamgarh, Kalahandi: In a major crackdown on corruption, Dhiman Chakma, IAS (2021 batch), currently serving as the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district, was caught red-handed today while accepting a bribe of ₹10,00,000 from a local businessman.

The incident took place at his official government residence in Dharamgarh and has sent shockwaves through the administrative circles of Odisha.

According to a Vigilance statement, the accused officer had allegedly demanded a total of ₹20,00,000 from the complainant, threatening adverse action against the businessman’s enterprise if the bribe was not paid.

Today’s transaction was the first instalment of this illegal demand.

Acting on a formal complaint, the Vigilance Department laid a trap and apprehended Chakma while he was accepting the ₹10 lakh bribe. The Sub-Collector had reportedly counted and verified the amount—comprising 26 bundles of ₹100 denomination notes—using both hands before placing it in his office table drawer.

Subsequent chemical tests on the officer’s hands and the table drawer yielded positive results for phenolphthalein, confirming physical contact with the bribe money.

In the immediate aftermath of the operation, Vigilance officials conducted a search of his official residence, resulting in the recovery of an additional ₹47 lakh in unaccounted cash. Searches are ongoing to trace the origin and extent of the illicit wealth.

A formal case—Vigilance Cell P.S. Case No. 6/2025—has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, as amended by the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The investigation is currently underway.