Bhubaneswar, Jun 9: The Odisha Vigilance officials have caught an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and the Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh red handed while accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh from a businessman in the Kalahandi district, officials said.

"On June 8, 2025, a short while ago, Dhiman Chakma , an IAS officer of (2021 batch) and a Sub-Collector of Dharamgarh area of Kalahandi district, has been caught red handed while demanding and accepting bribe of Rs 10,00,000 from a local businessman as an instalment of the overall demand of Rs 20,00,000 bribe, threatening to act against his business otherwise," the Vigilance department told in an official statement on Sunday.

It also added that the accused Sub-Collector called the complainant to his official government residence at Dharamgarh, received the bribe amount, verified the 26 number of 100-note bundles of different denominations with both his hands, and kept the same inside his residence office table drawer.

Sources revealed that the accused Sub-Collector was demanding a huge amount of bribe from the complainant by threatening to take action against the latter's stone crusher unit in Dharamgarh area of Kalahandi district.

Finding no other way, the owner of the stone crusher unit approached the Vigilance department that set a trap and caught Chakma red handed on Sunday.

"Both handwash and table drawer wash gave a positive chemical reaction. Following this, further Rs 47 lakh cash has been recovered during searches at his official residence. Further searches in progress," the official statement added.

The Vigilance sources also said that a case has been registered in this connection at the Vigilance Cell under Section 7 Prevention against Corruption Amendment Act, 2018.

The 2021 batch Odisha cadre IAS officer Chakma hails from Tripura.

He has also completed his B.Tech from the National Institute of Technology in Agartala.

The Odisha Vigilance department has registered 211 criminal cases and arrested 179 government officers and other private persons in 2024.

(IANS)

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