Agartala: May 18: Odisha Vigilance has launched a detailed investigation against 2021 Odisha cadre IAS officer Dhiman Chakma, who was arrested on June 8 for allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹10 lakh. The officer, who was serving as the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district, was caught red-handed by Vigilance officials while accepting the bribe from a businessman. He was subsequently arrested and suspended from service.
According to Odisha Vigilance, the accused had allegedly threatened the businessman with government action and demanded a bribe of ₹20 lakh. Based on a formal complaint, Vigilance officials set up a trap and arrested Chakma while accepting part of the demanded amount. A follow-up search at his official residence reportedly led to the recovery of an additional ₹47 lakh in cash.
In connection with the ongoing investigation, Vigilance has formed three teams and deployed them to different locations in Tripura and Himachal Pradesh. Searches have been conducted at Chakma’s ancestral home in Kanchanpur, North Tripura, and at his in-laws’ residence in the Saminala area of Manali, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh. Another search was carried out at his relatives’ residence in Rangbe, under Kiling police station in Lahaul-Spiti district.
These operations were carried out under search warrants issued by the Special Vigilance Court in Bhubaneswar. Authorities are currently examining important documents related to bank transactions and investments. Vigilance is also assessing his movable and immovable assets to determine if there is any disproportionate accumulation of wealth.
Kanchanpur SDPO Ashish Kumar Thakur confirmed that the Vigilance team visited earlier in the week and completed their search in the area.
The investigation remains ongoing, with officials continuing to analyze evidence collected from multiple locations.
