Bhawanipatna, June 9: In a major crackdown on corruption, the Odisha Vigilance Department on Monday arrested IAS officer Dheeman Chakma on charges of accepting a bribe and amassing disproportionate assets. Chakma, a 2021-batch officer, was serving as the Sub-Collector of Dharmagarh in Kalahandi district at the time of his arrest.
According to official sources, Chakma was caught red-handed on Sunday while accepting a bribe of ₹10 lakh from a crusher unit owner in Jayapatna. The bribe amount was reportedly kept inside the drawer of his office table at his government residence in Dharmagarh. The Vigilance team, acting on a prior complaint and tip-off, conducted a surprise raid and seized the cash along with 26 bundles of ₹1,000 currency notes.
Further searches at Chakma’s official residence led to the recovery of an additional ₹47 lakh in unaccounted cash. Following the seizure and preliminary investigation, he was taken into custody on Monday morning.
Vigilance officials revealed that Chakma had allegedly demanded a total bribe of ₹20 lakh by threatening the crusher unit owner. The ₹10 lakh seized was part of the first installment.
Chakma had earlier served as a senior officer in the Forest Department at Baripada before being transferred to Dharmagarh. He had been holding the Sub-Collector post for nearly a year.
The Vigilance Directorate has launched a detailed investigation into the matter, including a probe into Chakma’s assets and financial transactions. Further legal proceedings are underway.
