Odisha IAS officer caught accepting ₹10 lakh bribe in Kalahandi district

Odisha Vigilance caught IAS officer Dhiman Chakma red-handed accepting ₹10 lakh bribe in Kalahandi; ₹47 lakh unaccounted cash recovered from his official residence

An Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer serving as the sub-collector of Dharamgarh in Odisha’s Kalahandi district was arrested by Vigilance officials on Sunday, June 8, for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10 lakh from a local businessman.

 

According to the Odisha Vigilance Department, the accused IAS officer, identified as Dhiman Chakma (2021 batch), was caught red-handed while accepting the bribe at his official government residence in Dharamgarh.

 

“On June 8, 2025, a short while ago, Dhiman Chakma, an IAS officer of (2021 batch) and a sub-collector of Dharamgarh area of Kalahandi district, has been caught red handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,00,000 from a local businessman as an instalment of the overall demand of ₹20 lakh bribe, threatening to act against his business otherwise,” the Vigilance department said in an official statement. 

The vigilance team reported that Chakma called the complainant to his government residence, verified “the 26 number of 100-note bundles of different denominations with both his hands”, and placed the money in his office table drawer.

 

 

Further investigation revealed that the sub-collector allegedly demanded a hefty sum from the businessman by threatening action against his stone crusher unit in Dharamgarh.   

 

Following the operation, officials conducted a search at Chakma’s residence and discovered ₹47 lakh in unaccounted cash. “Both hand wash and table drawer wash gave a positive chemical reaction. Following this, further ₹47 lakh cash has been recovered during searches at his official residence. Further searches in progress,” the Vigilance statement said.

 

A case has been registered against the officer under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018. The Vigilance department confirmed that further investigation is underway to determine the full extent of the alleged corruption involving the sub-collector.

 

Who is Dhiman Chakma?

 

Dhiman Chakma hails from Kanchanpur in Tripura. A 2021 batch IAS officer of the Odisha cadre, he holds a BTech degree in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Agartala. Before joining the IAS, he reportedly served as an Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer in Mayurbhanj, Odisha.

 

(With PTI inputs)