Dhiman Chakma, a 2021-batch IAS officer who cleared UPSC twice and joined after IFS, was arrested for taking a Rs 10 lakh bribe. Vigilance also recovered Rs 47 lakh cash from his residence.
BHUBANESWAR: In a shocking development, Odisha Vigilance has arrested 2021-batch IAS officer Dhiman Chakma on June 8, 2025, for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh.
This incident has not only shaken the state’s administrative circles but also sparked a massive debate on social media regarding corruption among bureaucrats.
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Chakma, who was serving as the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, was caught red-handed in his government residence while accepting bribe money from a businessman.
The vigilance team revealed,
“The IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, currently serving as sub-collector, Dharamgarh in Kalahandi, was caught red handed while demanding and accepting Rs 10 lakh bribe in his govt quarter at Dharamgarh. We laid a trap after receiving a complaint from the businessman,” said Odisha Vigilance Director Yeshwant Jethwa.
Following the arrest, a thorough search was conducted at Chakma’s official residence. In the raid, officials found Rs 47 lakh in unaccounted cash hidden in various places, including his table drawer.
As per officials,
“The vigilance statement revealed that Chakma, a resident of Tripura, had kept currency notes of various denominations in the table drawer at his residence.”
Jethwa further added,
“Further Rs 47 lakh cash was recovered during searches at his official residence. Our personnel are still conducting searches. Our investigation is in progress.”
According to sources, the businessman who reported the incident runs stone crusher units within Chakma’s jurisdiction.
The officer had allegedly demanded Rs 20 lakh as bribe, after which the businessman approached the vigilance department and filed a complaint on Saturday. Based on this, a trap was laid the next day, leading to Chakma’s arrest.
This case has become a serious blot on Dhiman Chakma’s otherwise inspirational journey. Originally from Kanchanpur, a small town in Tripura, Chakma’s story was seen as a motivation for many.
His father is a school teacher, and his mother is a homemaker. Despite coming from a remote and under-resourced region, he cleared the UPSC examination twice – once in 2019 (with an AIR of 722, after which he joined the Indian Forest Service and was posted in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district), and then again in 2020 (with an AIR of 482), which led to his appointment as an IAS officer of the 2021 batch.
He is a Computer Science graduate from NIT Agartala, and his rise was often highlighted as an example of perseverance and dedication. But this arrest has turned his story upside down.
A user on social media reacted by saying,
“So much corruption in four years of job? How do these people study Ethics in UPSC?”
According to Odisha Vigilance, a case has been registered against him under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018).
This section deals with public servants taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act.
Conviction under this law can result in imprisonment ranging from 3 to 7 years and also includes a fine.
Under Odisha’s local law, Odisha Vigilance functions as the state’s anti-corruption wing. It has authority under both the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act to investigate and prosecute public servants.
While Odisha does not have a separate codified “Vigilance Act,” the Odisha Vigilance Manual and state government notifications empower the Vigilance Directorate to handle such complaints and act upon them.
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The chemical tests conducted after the trap showed positive traces of phenolphthalein powder on both the officer’s hands and the drawer where he had kept the money.
This indicated direct contact with the bribe amount. The Rs 10 lakh bribe was reportedly handed over in 26 bundles of currency notes, which Chakma counted and placed in the drawer.
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