Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], June 11 (HBTV): The Odisha government has suspended Dhiman Chakma, the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh in Kalahandi district, after he was caught red-handed on Monday while allegedly accepting an INR 10 lakh bribe from a local businessman.
According to an official order issued by the General Administration Department of the state government, ‘Governor of Odisha, in exercise of powers conferred under sub-rule 3 of rule 3 of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969, hereby places the said Shri Dhiman Chakma, IAS (RR-2021) under suspension with immediate effect.’
The order further stated: ‘It is further ordered that during the period of suspension, the headquarters of Shri Chakma, IAS, is fixed at the GA&PG Department, Government of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, and he shall not leave the said headquarters without prior permission of the undersigned.’
On Monday, the Odisha Vigilance Department stated that an additional INR 47 lakh in cash was recovered during further searches at Chakma's residence. Investigations are ongoing.
Chakma, a 2021-batch IAS officer, had allegedly demanded a total bribe of INR 20 lakh, threatening to initiate action against the businessman's enterprise if the payment was not made, according to the Vigilance Department.
He reportedly called the complainant to his official residence in Dharamgarh, where he accepted INR 10 lakh as the first instalment. The IAS officer was caught ‘red-handed while demanding and accepting a bribe of INR 10 lakh from a local businessman,’ the department said in a release.
The accused Sub-Collector received the amount, verified 26 bundles of 100 notes of different denominations with both hands, and placed them inside a drawer of his residence office table. The release noted that both his handwash and the drawer wash gave a positive chemical reaction.
A case has been registered under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (as amended in 2018). Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.
(ANI)