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IAS officer caught accepting ₹10 lakh bribe: Odisha vigilance department

Director (vigilance) Yeshwant Jethwa said Dhiman Chakma called a businessman to his official residence at Dharamgarh on Sunday and allegedly took 10 lakh bribe

Published on: Jun 9, 2025, 13:51:20 IST
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The Odisha vigilance department has said it caught a 2021-batch Indian Administrative Service officer and Kalahandi district sub-collector accepting the first instalment ( 10 lakh) of a 20 lakh bribe he allegedly demanded from a local businessman after threatening to implicate him in false cases.

Dhiman Chakma is 2021-batch Indian Administrative Service officer. (Sourced)
Dhiman Chakma is 2021-batch Indian Administrative Service officer. (Sourced)

Director (vigilance) Yeshwant Jethwa said Dhiman Chakma called the businessman to his official residence at Dharamgarh on Sunday and allegedly took the 10 lakh bribe in different denominations. Chakma had kept the money in a drawer when he was caught.

The official said 47 lakh cash was recovered from Chakma’s residence during a search, and he was booked under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, which relates to a public servant accepting an undue advantage and provides for 3-7 years imprisonment.

  • Debabrata Mohanty
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Debabrata Mohanty

    Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More