The anti-corruption Vigilance Wing of Odisha police on Monday arrested a young IAS officer posted in Kalahandi district under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act on bribery charges.

The 2021-batch IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, who had also cracked the Indian Forest Service exam, was caught red-handed by the vigilance sleuths while receiving a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a local businessman on Sunday night.

Advertisement

Earlier, Chakma had joined the Odisha cadre as an Indian Forest Service officer (2019 Batch). After undergoing training, he worked as an Assistant Conservator of Forest, Baripada from June 2021.

In 2021, after clearing the civil services exam, he was appointed as an IAS officer and assigned to the Odisha cadre. After training, he joined as Sub Collector, Dharmagarh, Kalahandi in January 2024 and has continued as such till date.

“Dhiman Chakma, IAS (2021 batch), Sub-Collector, Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district was arrested today by Odisha Vigilance for demanding and taking rupees ten lakh bribe from a local businessman (complainant) as an installment of the overall demand of Rs.20,00,000 bribe, threatening to act against his business otherwise. Left with no other option, the complainant reported the matter to Vigilance authorities”, the anti-corruption Vigilance Department of Odisha police said in a statement.

Based on the complaint, a trap was laid on Sunday night, wherein the accused the IAS officer was nabbed by a team of Odisha Vigilance in his residential government quarter at Dharamgarh for demanding and taking undue advantage (bribe) of rupees ten lakhs from the complainant.

The entire bribe money was recovered from the possession of Chakma and seized in the presence of witnesses. The hand wash of Chakma gave a positive chemical reaction, confirming acceptance and handling of bribe money by him.

Following the trap, simultaneous searches were conducted on the residential government quarter of Chakma at Dharamgarh and his office chamber. During the search, cash amounting to Rs 47 lakh was unearthed from his residential quarter at Dharamgarh. As he could not give any satisfactory explanation regarding such huge cash, the same was seized, the vigilance concluded.