IAS officer Dhiman Chakma sent to jail in Rs 10 lakh bribery case in Odisha's Kalahandi

IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, serving as the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Odisha's Kalahandi district, has been remanded to judicial custody and sent to Bhawanipatna District Jail following his arrest on bribery charges. The Special Vigilance Court in Bhawanipatna denied his bail plea and ordered a 14-day judicial remand.

The 36-year-old IAS officer was apprehended by the Odisha Vigilance Department on Sunday for allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a local businessman. Subsequent searches at his official residence led to the seizure of an additional Rs 47 lakh in unaccounted cash.

Chakma, a 2021-batch IAS officer hailing from Kanchanpur in Tripura, had previously served in the Indian Forest Service before joining the administrative services. His journey from a remote town to the civil services had been widely celebrated, making his arrest a significant fall from grace.

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The businessman, who operates a stone crusher unit, reported that Chakma had demanded a total bribe of Rs 20 lakh, threatening action against his business if the payment was not made. The Vigilance Department caught Chakma red-handed while accepting the first installment of Rs 10 lakh at his government residence in Dharamgarh. Chemical tests confirmed the presence of the bribe money, and further investigations are underway to assess the extent of his alleged corrupt activities.

Chakma's arrest has sparked widespread discussions on social media and among public officials about corruption within the civil services. Retired DGP Santosh Kumar Upadhyay and former chief secretary Bijay Patnaik have emphasized the need for stricter accountability measures to restore public trust in governance.

The Odisha Vigilance Department has registered a case under the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018, and further investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of Chakma's alleged misconduct.