According to the Odisha Vigilance Department, Deputy Collector Dhiman Chakma of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district was caught red-handed on Monday taking a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a local businessman. A release said that Rs 47 lakh cash was recovered and investigation is going on during further search at his residence.
The Odisha Vigilance Department said in a release that a 2021 batch IAS officer Chakma had allegedly demanded a total of Rs 20 lakh as a bribe and threatened to take action against the businessman’s venture if the payment was not made.
It said that Chakma called the complainant to his government residence in Dharamgarh, where he accepted Rs 10 lakh as the first installment. The department said in a release that the IAS officer was caught red handed demanding and accepting a local businessman.
The accused sub Collector called the complainant to his government residence in Dharamgarh, took the amount of bribe, tested 26 bundles of 100 notes of different price classes with both his hands and kept them in the drawer of the table of his residence office. The release stated that both hand wash and table drawer wash gave positive chemical reactions.
A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018). More information is awaited until the investigation continues.
