Corruption Crackdown: Bribery Probe Ensnares IAS Officer Chakma

Suspended IAS officer Dhiman Chakma's residences and those of his relatives are under investigation by Odisha Vigilance teams. Arrested for accepting a bribe of Rs 10 lakh, Chakma faces scrutiny for disproportionate assets, with searches extending to Tripura and Himachal Pradesh.

In a development that has captured national attention, Odisha Vigilance teams on Wednesday raided the residence of suspended IAS officer Dhiman Chakma in Tripura and the homes of his relatives in Himachal Pradesh. This comes after Chakma's arrest for allegedly accepting a Rs 10 lakh bribe from a businessman at Dharmagarh in Odisha's Kalahandi district.

The authorities are leaving no stone unturned, having seized Rs 47 lakh from Chakma's official residence. Search warrants, issued by the Special Judge of Vigilance in Bhawanipatna, have facilitated extensive searches at Chakma's Kanchanpur abode in North Tripura and his in-laws' house in Himachal Pradesh.

Officials are meticulously reviewing documents related to bank deposits and financial investments, with keen attention to both movable and immovable assets. Chakma, part of the Odisha cadre IAS officers of the 2021 batch, was caught red-handed. Investigations continue under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act, 2018.

(With inputs from agencies.)